Twenty-four students of a government higher secondary school in Edathala, Pallikkara, were rushed to the hospital after suffering serious breathing problems on Friday.
According to the police, the students inhaled the toxic fumes emanating from the burning plastic garbage heap. The incident occurred at 10.30 am when a large quantity of plastic waste and flex boards were burned in the courtyard of a house close to the school.
The house was situated close to the class rooms of the fifth and the sixth standards. Soon, the students had complained about the difficulty to breathe. Some of them suffered from stomach aches and were shivering. The students were quickly rushed to a private hospital nearby. By evening, twenty three students were discharged after the first-aid treatment. Askar Aslam, 11, who is suffering from asthma, was admitted in the pediatric intensive care unit. The doctors said that Askar was given an antibiotic injection and would be discharged the next day. The other victims are C S Lismi, P S Salini, Sarath Shaji, Haripriya, Suhana, Gourinanda, Shafina, K V Anjana, Sheeja Jayan, M S Bijesh, Abitha, Jenisha, Harsha, Sainaba, Disnu Baby, P P Anu, Vineetha, Ajay Mohan, Anjaly, M S Shahitha, Anugraha Soman, Surya Surendran and Shermina.