Thursday, October 31, 2013

25 Students, 2 Teachers In Coma After Inhaling Fumes From Photolab

25 students and 2 teachers of Ogba Junior Secondary School, Lagos,
yesterday, went into coma after inhaling a chemical waste allegedly
discharged into drainage by a company, Bizcircuit Photo Laboratory,
located a few metres from the school premises.
According to reports, the gas enveloped the school premises at noon
when students and teachers were in the school,and they began to feel
dizzy, with some of them collapsing after inhaling the emission from
chemical spread to their school premises by air.
Following the incident, some of the teachers raised an alarm which
attracted some members of the public, who immediately called officials
of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency on their toll free
lines.
The unconscious students and teachers were immediately rushed to Blue
Cross Hospital, located opposite the shopping mall for urgent medical
attention.
Two of the affected female students whose condition was critical were
transferred in a Lagos State Emergency Ambulance marked LA 156 A08 to
the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, in Ikeja.
One of the school's pupils, Adetayo Adekanbi, said: "We were in the
classroom when we perceived the offensive gas and smoke clouding the
entire premises. We never knew the gas was injurious.
"Immediately I noticed it, I ran towards the gate to escape inhaling
the gas. But some of my mates became unconscious after inhaling the
gas."
The Head of Logistic, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA,
Mr. Femi Giwa, said that of the 25 victims, four were in critical
condition but responding to treatment.
Giwa said: "On arrival at the scene, we conducted a general assessment
and discovered that certain liquid chemicals, with offensive and
choking odour, used for production in the photo lab on the first floor
of a shopping complex, could have led to the incident."
He said that Lagos State government immediately sealed the premises of
the photo laboratory concerned and arrested three of its staff.
Giwa, however, assured that proper investigation would be conducted to
analyse the chemical that gave off the offensive gas and its effect on
the environment.
Also speaking, state Director of Fire and Safety Services, Mr. Rasaq
Fadipe, said officials assisted the rescue team in controlling the
chemical fumes from spreading further.

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