Chennai: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials inspected Victory Matriculation School in Thiruvottiyur after four students fainted on Monday following a suspected gas leak. However, officials said they were unable to detect any odour on Monday or Tuesday.
The school was initially closed on Oct 25 when 36 students fainted due to a suspected gas leak. When the school reopened on Monday, four more students fainted and were promptly taken to Thiruvottiyur govt hospital. The school has been shut again for a week. Classes will only resume after receiving safety clearance from TNPCB and school education department.
"Our officials and a mobile van equipped with an ambient air quality monitoring system have been stationed on the school premises to monitor any unusual odour, but we haven't been able to detect anything. It remains a mystery to us," said a TNPCB official.
Officials noted that the initial incident could be explained by the exhaust system in the laboratory, which directed air toward two classrooms. "The lab was not used since Aug, so fumes may have accumulated and been pushed into the classrooms due to airflow. However, this time we haven't found anything," the official added. tnn