Chennai: 30 students hospitalized due to gas leak in school, 3 seriously injured

A suspected gas leak triggered panic at a school in Chennai's Thiruvottiyur area, PTI reported on Friday. Students were evacuated and 30 girls were hospitalized, three of whom were in critical condition.

“Some of us had to rush out of the classroom to get some fresh air,” one student said. “Even our teachers had difficulty breathing and some students fainted before teachers revived them.”

According to PTI, some students felt nauseated and even vomited in class, although none showed serious symptoms.

A student's mother told ANI, “My daughter had difficulty breathing and vomiting two days ago and it happened again yesterday. Today she felt dizzy and vomited, but the teachers told her not to feel sick. The school didn't inform us; we found it.” After she was admitted to a government hospital, we later shifted her to a private hospital and she is under observation. The school still has to inform us.

Following the incident, fire department officials were called in to assist in rescue operations.

An initial investigation suggests a chemical leak from the school's laboratory may be to blame for students' discomfort. Some reports also suggest that fumes from a nearby chemical plant may have contributed to the breathing problems. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the gas leak.

NDRF commander AK Chauhan said, “I cannot confirm the exact cause yet. Our team has assessed the situation and everything seems normal; We didn’t detect any gas.”