Delhi's gas chamber: 450 girls taken ill due to chemical leakage

Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia talks to a student who was hospitalised

Around 450 girl students were hospitalised on Saturday after toxic fumes spr­ead due to chemical leakage at a container depot near two schools in southeast Delhi's Tughlaqabad area.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel during the clean-up operation at the container depot, where the gas leak took place yesterday morning

Most of the students were discharged after a few hours, while four of them were kept under observation in the ICU of two hospitals. Stude­nts of Rani Jh­ansi Sc­h­ool and Go­v­er­n­ment Girls Senior Secondary Sch­ool, were rushed to four ne­a­rby hospitals as they complained of irritation in eyes and breathlessness.

NDRF workers survey the condition around Rani Jhansi School in southeast Delhi's Tughlaqabad area. Pics/PTI

As the news broke, Union Health Minister JP Nadda instructed all Centre-run hospitals to be ready to help the victims. The Delhi government ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. Police has registered an FIR in the matter under various sections of IPC and the Environment (Protection) Act.

School students being treated at a hospital after the gas leak in New Delhi on Saturday. Pic/PTI

The toxic incident
According to Delhi cops, a call was received at 7.35 am about some chemical leakage at the customs area of Tughlaqabad depot, located near the schools. The chemical, Chloro methyl pyrisine, was imported from China and was to be taken to Sonepat in Haryana. Following the incident, teams of National Disaster Response Force reached the spot for a cleaning operation.