Chemical splashes injure 14 children at school

Fourteen schoolchildren were injured after a bottle containing a chemical broke inside a classroom at a private school near Permit Bypass, rescue officials said on Friday. According to Rescue 1122, children were playing inside a classroom at Al-Rehman Public School when a ball struck a chemical bottle kept on a shelf. The bottle fell to the floor and broke, causing chemical splashes to hit the children in the classroom. The injured children suffered burns and were provided first aid by Rescue 1122 personnel before being shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital, Lodhran, for further treatment. No loss of life was reported. Rescue officials said emergency teams reached the school within three minutes of receiving the call. Four ambulances, two motorcycles, a rescue vehicle and a fire vehicle took part in the operation. District Emergency Officer Engineer Shakeel Ahmed supervised the rescue operation and monitored the provision of first aid and the transfer of the injured children to hospital. Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ashraf and DSP Saddar Abid Bhalla also visited the hospital and reviewed the medical facilities being provided to the injured children. Meanwhile, police registered a case against school owner Chaudhry Muhammad Aslam and other persons responsible on the complaint of Deputy District Education Officer Muhammad Mazhar Madani.