Balasore: At least 16 students of a private school at Balia in Balasore district were taken ill after inhaling toxic substances during a science experiment at the laboratory, a report said.
The incident took place when some Class-VIII students of Balia-based Saraswati Sishu Mandir were conducting an experiment on metal and non-metal objects by using sodium in a glass tumbler.
As the students dropped some amount of sodium in the tumbler, it exploded with fumes all around. The students inhaled the toxic gas and became ill, it was learnt.
Immediately, teachers took the students out of the laboratory. The students complained of nausea, vomiting, cough and stomachache while some even fainted in the classroom.
They were rushed to Balasore district hospital for treatment. The students were Jyotirmayi Patra, Ipsita Panda, Srikrishna Dey, Krupalini Singh, Dharitri Panda, Jharana Das, Charchita Senapati, Pritimayi Jena, Rajlaxmi Gochchayat, Sradhha Das, Nirlipta Mohanty, Latika Mohanty, Subhankar Mandal, Harishankar Dasmangraj, Pabitranaryan Pradhan and Jyotiranjan Rout.
However, chief district medical officer Bibekananda Das said, “Fifteen students were admitted to the hospital. All of them were discharged after treatment. Only one student has been kept under observation.” PNN