Fourteen schoolchildren, including nine girls, suffered burn injuries after bottles containing an acidic chemical reportedly fell and broke at a private school in Lodhran, Pakistan. The incident occurred during recess at a school near Adda Permit on Friday.
Ball reportedly knocked chemical bottles
According to rescue officials cited by Dawn, students from Classes I to IV were playing with a ball in a classroom when it reportedly struck bottles of laboratory chemicals kept in an open cupboard.
The bottles fell to the floor and broke, causing the chemical to splash onto nearby children. Rescue 1122 teams reached the school after receiving an emergency call and provided first aid before taking the injured children to the District Headquarters Hospital in Lodhran.
Four ambulances, two motorbikes, a rescue vehicle and a fire vehicle were involved in the emergency response. Another report said rescue teams reached the school within three minutes of receiving the call.
Police investigate alleged negligence
One six-year-old boy, identified as Hasan, reportedly suffered burns covering 27 per cent of his body and was shifted to the Burns Unit of Nishtar Hospital in Multan for further treatment. The other injured children were being treated at the district hospital.
Police have registered a case against the school owner, Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam, following a complaint by an education official. Authorities have alleged negligence and launched efforts to locate him. Investigations into the incident are continuing.
The incident has raised concerns over the safe storage of laboratory chemicals in areas accessible to young students.