MEERUT: Thirty-one students were hospitalised on Monday after inhaling pesticide fumes at a govt-aided school that had conducted a fumigation drive to control mosquitoes and prevent dengue on Saturday. The high school is located in Bulandshahr's Khanpur area.
DIOS Vinay Kumar said, "The classrooms were locked after fogging was done on Saturday. When the school reopened on Monday, students entered the unventilated rooms and began to show symptoms like headache, dizziness, vomiting and burning sensations in the eyes and face. Some also fainted. They were rushed to nearby hospitals."
CMO Dr Sunil Dohre said around 70 students from Classes 8 to 12 were screened. Of them, 31 were admitted to hospital while the rest were sent home. "Inhaling excess pesticide fumes, especially on an empty stomach likely triggered the symptoms. All admitted students are stable," Dr Sunil Dohre added.
DM Shruti and SSP Dinesh Kumar visited the hospital to assess the situation. A two-member team has been formed to investigate the incident. Preliminary findings point to negligence by the school staff.
"Agriculture department has also been directed to test the pesticide samples used for fogging," Kumar said.
Rahul Singh, a principal correspondent, is based in Meerut. A gra...
Read MoreRahul Singh, a principal correspondent, is based in Meerut. A graduate of Journalism and Law, he extensively covers court judgements and crime and has a penchant for off-beat human interest stories.
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