Children, run for your lives! It could be Al-Assad chemical weapon in Lagos. ***22 pupils faint in Lagos after inhaling unknown substance Ogba Junior Grammar School, Lagos was thrown into confusion on Thursday, after about 22 pupils inhaled an unknown substance and went into coma for several hours. It was learnt that problem started when a nearby laboratory emitted some gaseous substance, which engulfed the school. It was said that the incident happened around 1:25pm, bringing parents and other rescue workers into the school compound to help revive the victims who had remained unconscious for some hours. A man who pleaded anonymous had told reporters at the gate of the school thus “I also perceived it, but I didn’t faint. I think it all depends on your system, and the way you are able to control it. I didn’t faint, even though it turned my eyes slightly. It affected the children more because they are too young to battle such terrible odour. It was gathered that most teachers and students who were not affected ran for dear lives, covering their nostrils with clothes in order not to be affected. Report says some of the pupils were revived in the school, while 4 were taken to Blue Cross Hospital, Ijaiye Road, Ogba, Lagos, as they could not be revived immediately. The odour was reportedly traced to Ogba Shopping Arcade, Ijaiye Road, which shares a fence with the affected school. Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Razaq Fadipe, had blamed a photo laboratory located in the complex for the incident. He said, “On getting to the school, 22 students were unconscious. LASAMBUS was able to revive most of them and their parents took them home. “Four were not alright and had been taken to Blue Cross Hospital. We were able to trace the odour to the complex which shares a fence with the school. “We spotted the laboratory where the smell was coming from and the place has been cordoned off. Investigations are still on.” He said. However, it has been gathered that the four children rushed to the Blue Cross hospital have been revived and taken to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital for further treatment.
Posted on: Fri, 01 Nov 2013 06:23:34 +0000