Balasore: As many as 15 students of a private school in Balia under Remuna Tehsil felt asphyxiated after inhaling an unknown gas during a laboratory experiment.
Sources said around 38 students of class VIII in Balia Saraswati Sishu Vidya Mandir narrowly escaped from being burnt after a chemical experiment went wrong leading to an explosion.
“We were conducting a test with Sodium but due to more quantity of the reactants it exploded and the entire lab room got filled with smoke. Some of my friends inhaled the gas and felt suffocated while others were not much affected,” a student said.
All the affected students have been rushed to Balasore Hospital where six of them are reported to be in critical condition.
On the other hand, the school administration said students who were directly involved in the experiment have been more affected but are out of danger while some others are mildly affected.