14 children suffer burns at a school in Lodhran, Pakistan — Dawn
At a private school in Lodhran, Pakistan, 14 students, including nine girls, suffered burns after bottles containing an acidic chemical substance fell to the floor and, according to rescuers, exploded. Dawn reports.
Circumstances of the incident
According to Safdar, the media coordinator of the Rescue 1122 service in Lodhran, students in grades one through four were playing ball during a break in a shared classroom at a private school near Adda Permit, close to the Multan bypass. Bottles containing a laboratory chemical were stored in an open cabinet in the room.
According to the rescuer, the ball accidentally hit the containers, causing them to fall to the floor and explode. The acidic substance got on the children and caused burns to various parts of their bodies.
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Rescuers arrived following a call from the school administration with four ambulances, two motorcycles, a rescue vehicle and a fire extinguisher. The victims were given first aid and taken to the DHQ district hospital.
Treatment and investigation
Six-year-old Hasan, who sustained burns to 27% of his body surface, was transferred to the burn unit of Nishtar Hospital in Multan. Another 13 children aged from four to 14 are being treated at the district hospital.
Police and local administration representatives also arrived at the scene and launched an investigation. According to officials, the school owner, Chaudhry Aslam, fled after the incident. Lodhran police representative Shani Muhammad Ramzan said that a case had been registered against the owner over alleged negligence. District education officer Mazhar Madni filed the police complaint; law enforcement officers are conducting raids to find the owner.
