CUDDALORE: A student of Class 12 was hopitalised after he inhaled an unidentified chemical at his school laboratory and fainted in Chidambaram on Thursday. Pachaiyappa's Higher Secondary School student A Abdul Hameed (17) is currently undergoing treatment.
Sources said, on Thursday, Abdul with fellow classmates was temporarily relocated to the laboratory due to repair work going on on a classroom fan. An unidentified chemical, stored in a plastic container, accidentally spilled onto the table and Abdul's pants. He promptly wiped off the chemical with his handkerchief and washed the affected area with water.
On returning home later in the evening, Abdul informed his parents about an unusual smell emanating from his handkerchief and revealed that his nose was itching and he experienced breathing difficulties after using the contaminated cloth. Abdul then fainted and his father, A Abdul Sattar, rushed him to the Cuddalore District Medical College Hospital, where it was discovered that Abdul had developed a lung infection as a result of the incident. On Saturday, he regained consciousness, but remains under intensive care.
Meanwhile, officials from the education department visited the hospital on Saturday and met Abdul. They also inspected the school laboratory and interrogated teachers and students. A senior official from the education department told TNIE, "We are still in the process of identifying the chemical involved. Since the school is government-aided, we have instructed the management secretary to investigate and submit a detailed report. Simultaneously, our department is also conducting its own inquiry." Although Abdul is recovering, the official added, they were unable to communicate with him.
On Saturday, Abdul's father lodged a complaint and police from Chidambaram Town police station visited the school and collected samples of the chemical. "The labels on the plastic container were not legible and even the teachers were unsure about its name. We will have to wait for the boy's recovery to record his statement," police said. Parents and students also highlighted the deplorable conditions of several classrooms in the school.