70 students in Kerala were hospitalised after an alleged gas leak from Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML)
70 children in Kollam in Kerala, who were hospitalised allegedly after a gas leak from a unit of the state-run Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), are now out of danger.
16 children, all students from a government school in the neighbourhood, had been placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on complaints of nausea and breathing problems. Most of them have stabilised, and only a few are in the ICU now.
Dr Santosh, Medical Superintendent of the hospital where the children have been admitted, said, "We cannot categorically say it was a case of gas leak. We've treated it based on symptoms."
A gas leak from the same factory had left over 40 people, including students, hospitalised on Wednesday.
Factory officials say their unit was closed on Thursday, so they were being incorrectly blamed.
District Collector Pranab Jyoti Nath told NDTV that it is too early to say exactly what happened. "The situation is being studied," he said.
The leaked gas is believed to be Sulphur Dioxide. Similar leaks have been reported from the unit earlier in 2007 and 2011.