By Ndivhuwo Musetha
Siloam - More than 30 pupils at a Limpopo school had to be rushed to hospital after they inhaled teargas in their classroom.
Some of the 47 pupils at Tshithuthuni Primary School in Tshithuthuni village outside Siloam were treated at Siloam Hospital on Monday afternoon, but others still needed treatment on Tuesday afternoon.
"What we want is for our children to be examined to establish if there is no serious impact to their health," said school governing body chairman Maudu Netshithuthuni.
Netshithuthuni said the incident happened in a Grade 7 class after a pupil smashed a teargas canister against a wall.
"The tin was damaged and released the gas. Immediately one of the learners in the class developed a swollen face while others started to sneeze," he said.
He said when three teachers rushed to the classroom to check what was going on they inhaled the gas and started sneezing as well.
Netshithuthuni said an ambulance was called to the school and made several trips to transport the pupils and teachers to hospital.
He said there was no sign of complications caused by the gas to the victims, including the girl whose face was swollen on Monday as she was in good condition on Tuesday.
“The boy told us he found the teargas canister lying around the street in the morning while he was walking to the school," said Netshithuthuni.
When approached for comment, Siloam police spokesman Warrant Officer Edward Tharaga disputed that the canister was full of gas when the boy found it in the street.
“It is not true that there is a child who inhaled the gas as the tin was empty when the boy found it in the street,” said Tharaga.
Asked why a teargas canister was left in the street, Tharaga said: “We are avoiding asking many questions as the boy is busy writing exams. Right now we are going to test the tin to help us come with the answers on how it landed in the street.”
Netshithuthuni said there was no case opened with the police as “we are now focusing on the health of the children." – SAnews.gov.za
