Chennai: About 30 students from a school in Tiruvottiyur in Tamil Nadu’s Chennai were taken to a hospital on Friday after experiencing restlessness and throat irritation, reportedly due to a gas leak, officials said. The incident caused panic among students and school authorities. All of the affected students are safe and receiving medical treatment, officials said.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Commander AK Chauhan said, “At present I cannot say the exact cause.” He added, “We are yet to ascertain the exact cause. Our team came and assessed the situation, everything was normal and we did not smell any gas or leakage from the AC.” Meanwhile, parents of affected children accused the school authorities of not providing clear information about the situation.

“The school administration is not giving clear information. My child is still under hospital observation. She has been having throat irritation for the past three days, which we thought was minor, but today they admitted her,” said a parent.

Local police responded to the scene and are investigating the source of the leak while monitoring the situation to prevent further risks. Forensic experts and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials have also reached the spot.