At least 30-35 students from a school in Shamli, Uttar Pradesh were admitted to hospital on Tuesday after reportedly suffocating due to harmful chemicals from a nearby sugar factory. The factory had closed down and was in the process of reopening. Indra Vikram Singh, District Magistrate Shamli, said that around 30-35 students of Saraswati Shishu Mandir (Sadar area) complained of suffocation this morning.

chemicals from sugar factory

“Later the students were taken to different hospitals where most of them have discharged and 4-5 students are on drip and will be discharged soon. The doctors have said that nothing is serious and nothing is there to panic about,” Singh said.

On the cause of the incident, Singh said the reason is unknown and investigations are underway. However, he did not deny the possibility that there might be an accidental gas leak from a sugar factory, situated in the center of the city. “The factory is close to the school and was installed in 1993. The factory closed from a long time and was in the process of reopening. Something might have happened during the cleaning process,” The DM said.

Additional SP Shamli said the students of the school gathering for assembly when the incident took place at around 9 am, adding that authorities are checking nearby hospitals and areas to see exactly how many people have affected.

However, he also said that there is another school in the area and nothing has happened to the students and teachers there.