Deodorant sends students to Sando hospital

In all, 35 pupils had to be taken to hospital for treatment, but all except one, were discharged from the hospital by noon.

The students later returned to classes at the school which is located at the corner of Carib and Coffee Streets.

Nine pupils were placed under close observation by doctors since apart from inhaling the noxious fumes, they were suffering from asthma.

The incident occurred around mid-morning in the Standard Five classroom which school principal Amelia Hosein said, is air-conditioned. A report stated one of the male pupils reportedly took to school a tin of deodorant spray and sprayed it in the classroom. After the student did this, other pupils complained to teachers saying they felt nauseous while still other students started sneezing.

The badly affected students were taken in a PTSC bus to hospital where they were examined by doctors and nurses at the Accident and Emergency Department.

Several panicky parents, on being told what had happened, hurried to the hospital fearing the worst. However, doctors said none of the students had suffered any major medical problems by the fumes. An investigation has since been launched by the school.

It is not known if the student who sprayed the deodorant was disciplined, or if the can of spray was seized.