300 children fall sick after inhaling gas from chemical waste in UP

Over 300 children, all students of a school, fell ill allegedly after inhaling gas, that emanated from a chemical waste dump of a sugar mill in Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, about 500 kilometres from here, on Tuesday.

According to the police sources here, the condition of around two dozen children was stated to be critical and all of them were referred to the medical college hospital in Meerut.

District officials said that the children, all of whom were students of Sarswati Vidya Mandir, were affected by the gas while they were on their way to the school in the morning.

''Many children fell on the road while in many others the symptoms manifested when they reached the school,'' said a senior official in Shamli.

The waste dump belonged to Doab Sugar Mill, which was situated on Budhana Road on the outskirts of the town. The school was also situated on the same road at some distance.

As the news spread, panic prevailed in the other schools as well and the district administration ordered clsoure of all schools in the town as a precautionary measure.

Officials said that many children were discharged after being kept under observation for a few hours while some others were still being treated.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, sources said.

The local residents alleged that the sugar mill dumped its waste on the side of the road despite their objections. They said that they had lodged complaint against the mill several times in the past but no action was taken.