25 Students Faint In Lagos School After Inhaling Chemical Waste

 

Twenty five pupils of Ogba Junior Secondary School, Lagos, collapsed yesterday after inhaling chemical waste allegedly discharged into the drain by Bizcircuit Photo Laboratory, situated at the Ogba Shopping Plaza, Lagos.

The incident occurred around 12:40pm shortly before the close of school.

The school authority and parents ran to the scene. Officials of various state emergency management agencies converged on the scene and rushed the unconscious pupils to Blue Cross Hospital and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

Head of Logistics, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Femi Giwa told reporters that four of the pupils were in critical condition, but they are responding to treatment.

He said the agency received a distress call from the school and responded immediately.

Giwa said on arriving at the scene, his team discovered that liquid chemicals with offensive and choking odour was stored and use for production in the photo lab on the first floor of the shopping complex.

He said the odour permeated the environment and led to the incident.

Giwa said the government sealed the premises and arrested three workers of the photo studio.

He said the chemical would be analysed to know its effect on the environment.

State Director of Fire and Safety Services Rasaq Fadipe said his men worked with other agencies to curb the spread of the chemical fumes.