21 faint after gas leak in Kota

Around 17 students among 21 people fainted on Saturday afternoon after an alleged gas leak from a private fertiliser factory which shares its boundary with a government school in Kota district of Rajasthan, officials said.

- Senjuti Sengupta

JAIPUR:

The deputy police superintendent of Kota rural Rajesh Dhaka said, "The case took place at around 1 pm when a total 202 students were at the school on Saturday. Suddenly, some of the students, along with some staff members, started fainting. Some of them complained of irritation in their eyes and also reportedly vomited before fainting."

According to the police, the 17 students—all of whom are 14 to 16 years old—were immediately rushed to the hospital of the factory along with 4 teachers. "The fertiliser factory comes within 500m of the school. Prima facie, the toxic ammonia gas leaked from a store in the afternoon which had spread across some parts of the school. Some of the people who came in touch with the gas fainted," Dhaka said.