Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a probe by Saharanpur Commissioner into the incident of 300 students taking ill on Tuesday after inhaling toxic gas emitted by a sugar mill near their school in Shamli district.
On Tuesday, the students of a private school in Shamli started complaining of stomach ache, nausea and burning sensation in their eyes after gas leakage from a neighbouring sugar mill.
“We have come to know that similar incidents had taken place in the past. A probe is on and strict action will be taken against those responsible,” ADG, Meerut zone, Prashant Kumar was quoted by PTI.
Indra Vikram Singh, District Magistrate Shamli, said, “Later the students were taken to different hospitals where most of them have been discharged and 4-5 students are on drip and will be discharged soon. The doctors have said that nothing is serious and nothing is there to panic about.”
“The factory is close to the school and was installed in 1933. The factory was closed from a long time and was in the process of reopening. Something might have happened during the cleaning process,” the DM was quoted Indian Express.
He said all the children are safe and are undergoing treatment in various hospitals.
Principal Secretary, Information, Awanish Awasthi told PTI, “The CM has ordered a probe into the Shamli incident by Commissioner Shaharanpur and directed the DM and all local officers to provide all possible help to the affected children.”
Locals alleged that sugar mill employees used to discharge chemicals in waste dumps leading to emission of harmful gas inhaling which children took ill, with some of them falling unconscious.