At least three students of Victory Matric Higher Secondary School in Tiruvottiyur, Chennai are hospitalised after a suspected chemical gas leak on Friday, October 25. Reports are conflicting, but at least 30 to 35 students seem to have fainted after a chemical smell permeated the school campus. Of them, three were hospitalised as they could not be revived through first aid, according to reports. 

It is unclear at present whether the leak came from the school’s own chemistry lab, the many industrial plants in the surrounding areas, or some other source. 

An angry relative, who spoke to several Tamil channels including Puthiyathalaimurai and News Tamil 24 x 7, said that they were not notified that such an incident had occurred. “No one called us,” the grandmother of two of the students said, “My son is an auto-driver. He heard about the incident and alerted us.” Another parent also alleged to news channels that they did not get a notification from the school, and that the students were simply told to go home. “If the school had informed us, we would have come to escort our children home. What if something had happened to them?”

Presently, the police, the fire department, and emergency medical services are reportedly at the school. 

This is a developing story.