Umbilo Secondary School in Wentworth, KwaZulu-Natal had to be evacuated and some learners had to be rushed to hospital, following a suspected gas leak yesterday.
This is after the learners and teachers started experiencing difficulty in breathing, while others collapsed.
Also see: How to detect a gas leak
According to online reports, ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson shared that the incident likely stemmed from a gas leak from a nearby property, which then spread into the school.
“Upon arrival, paramedics found multiple learners experiencing respiratory distress. One learner is believed to have had some sort of seizure,” says Garrith.
SABC reported that residents say they are increasingly concerned about recurring leaks from nearby factories. Community member Zalitha Kruger described a strong chemical smell as similar to nail polish remover or acetone spreading through the area, causing panic.
The resident cited that this is not the first time such an incident has occurred, adding that similar events have happened repeatedly over the years.
She says these incidents often result in vulnerable residents, particularly children with asthma, chest problems or heart conditions, being rushed to hospital.
Also see: How to clean and maintain a gas stove
She adds that the community is calling for stricter safety measures and better training for factory safety officers, saying residents believe ongoing negligence continues to put their health and safety at risk.
Speaking to IOL, Desmond D’Sa, founder of SDCEA, said they were at the school soon after gas had affected the pupils.
“We noticed that the smell of resin and dowtherm, a chemical that is emitted when companies heat up their boilers, filled the air at around 9am.
“The smell is a sweet-sour smell and can quickly affect your breathing once inhaled. The smell was terrible and we closed our offices. I then got a call from the principal of Umbilo Secondary School regarding their pupils and teachers being sick due to the smell.
“I rushed to the school and the situation was bad. There were lots of children affected by the gasses. Many of them had collapsed. Paramedics were quick and thankfully there were no deaths,” Desmond added.
Also see: Gas, electric or induction? How to pick the right stove for your kitchen
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