No fewer than 30 students and a teacher have been hospitalised following a suspected gas leak at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred shortly after the school’s morning assembly on Wednesday, triggering panic among students and staff as an unidentified gaseous substance reportedly spread across the premises.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that several students began to experience breathing difficulties, while others reportedly collapsed after inhaling the substance, prompting an emergency response.
The affected students and the teacher were subsequently rushed to the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, for urgent medical attention.
Initial reports suggested the possibility of a nearby gas explosion, while other sources linked the incident to a chemical odour believed to have emanated from the school’s laboratory during a practical session.
It was further learnt that a piece of laboratory equipment may have fallen during the exercise, releasing a substance that quickly diffused into the surrounding environment.
However, the Vice Principal (Junior School), Mrs Adeola Borogun, dismissed claims of an explosion, describing the incident as a “strange chemical smell” that led to vomiting and fainting among students.
According to her, the school authorities immediately contacted emergency services, leading to the evacuation of the affected individuals.
Also speaking, the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, confirmed the incident as a gas leak but ruled out industrial pollution or any form of explosion.
“Some say it was from the school laboratory, while others believe it came from the surrounding community. We are deploying a gas analyser to determine the exact type and concentration of the substance,” he said.
Oresanya added that there were no industrial facilities in the vicinity capable of causing such pollution.
“There is no industrial gas source around the area, so it is not industrial pollution. There was no explosion. It is a gas leak from an unknown source. The affected students are stable and responding well to treatment,” he stated.
The Chief Medical Director of the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode, Dr Banjo Adeoye, confirmed that 30 students and one teacher were admitted, noting that most of them were in stable condition.
He, however, said the exact substance responsible for the incident had yet to be identified.
Similarly, the Chairman of Ijebu Ode Local Government, Dare Alebiosu, confirmed that no life was lost, assuring that all affected students were responding to treatment.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities said investigations were ongoing to ascertain the source and nature of the gas, while measures were being put in place to prevent a recurrence.
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