Fear as 30 Students, Teacher Hospitalised after Gas Incident in Popular Southwestern School
- No fewer than 30 students and one teacher were hospitalised after a suspected gas leak at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu Ode
- Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, ruled out explosion and industrial pollution, confirming it was a gas leak under investigation
- Chief Medical Director, Dr Banjo Adeoye, said all affected victims were in stable condition while Ijebu Ode LG Chairman, Dare Alebiosu, confirmed no lives were lost
Ogun state - No fewer than 30 students and a teacher were rushed to hospital on Wednesday after a suspected gas leak at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu Ode, Ogun state.
The incident reportedly occurred shortly after the morning assembly, when an unidentified gaseous substance spread across the school premises, triggering panic among students and staff.
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Eyewitness accounts indicated that several students struggled to breathe, while others collapsed after inhaling the substance, prompting an emergency response.
All affected persons were subsequently taken to the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, where they received urgent medical attention.
Conflicting accounts trail source of leak
Initial reports suggested the possibility of a nearby gas explosion, but other sources linked the incident to a chemical odour believed to have emanated from the school’s laboratory during a practical session, Punch reported.
It was gathered that laboratory equipment may have accidentally fallen, releasing a substance that quickly spread through parts of the school.
However, the Vice Principal (Junior School), Mrs Adeola Borogun, dismissed claims of any explosion, describing the situation as an unusual chemical smell within the school environment.
She explained that the incident led to symptoms such as vomiting and fainting among students, necessitating the immediate evacuation of victims.
Government rules out explosion, launches investigation
The Ogun state commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed the incident as a gas leak but ruled out both an explosion and industrial pollution as possible causes.
“Some say it was from the school laboratory, but some say it must have been from somewhere around the community.
“We are bringing a gas analyser there now to analyse the type of gas and the concentration zone. So, that will give us the exact cause,” Oresanya said.
He further clarified that there were no industrial facilities in the area capable of releasing such pollutants, Vanguard reported.
“There is no industrial gas around, so we know it’s not industrial pollution.
“No, there is no explosion anywhere. It’s a gas leakage from somewhere. No explosion,30 students were brought to the hospital, but they are in stable condition now. They are very okay now,” he added.
Victims stable as authorities reassure residents
Confirming the development, the Chief Medical Director of the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, Dr Banjo Adeoye, said the hospital received 30 students and one teacher affected by the incident.
Source: Getty Images
He noted that most of them were in stable condition, although the exact substance responsible for the leak had yet to be identified.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, reassured residents that no lives were lost and that all affected individuals were responding well to treatment.
Ogun police probe death of NYSC member
Legit.ng previously reported that the Ogun state Police Command on Thursday, March 19, said that it has begun looking into the death of Victoria Ariyo, a female corps member serving in Abeokuta South Local Government.
Reports suggest she died after facing complications from an àbòrtìòn. Ariyo’s body was buried at Kobape Cemetery along Kobape-Sagamu Road in Abeokuta.
Source: Legit.ng
