By ALICE NACHILEMBE AND IREEN MULENGA
One hundred and twenty-three pupils from Chingola Buyantanshi Technical Secondary School (BUTECH) have allegedly been gassed by unknown people.
The incident occurred this morning between 07:00 and 07:30 hours, this was after the pupils reported to school.
A check at Buyantanshi Secondary School found that pupils were taken to the Hospital for treatment as most of them had collapsed.
And Copperbelt Deputy Police Commissioner Chrispin Chambwa who visited the pupils at the Hospital confirmed the report to media.
He said the Police received a report that some pupils got choked by unknown substance.
Mr Chambwa said that police did ascertain the incident and discovered that the said pupils from grade 8 class were rushed to Nchanga North General Hospital for observation.
He said that the total number of pupils admitted was 123, of which 93 were girls and 30 were boys.
Mr Chambwa said 119 pupils have been discharged and four are still under observation and their condition is stable.
“The police will come up with information with regards to what really happened as the cause of the incident is been investigated and we will not leave any stone unturned,” he said.
And Buyantanshi Technical Head Teacher Mirriam Mumba narrated that the incident began in one of the grade-eights class where the pupils started coughing; scratching and later others started fainting.
Ms Mumba said thereafter, pupils from other classrooms also started showing similar symptoms.
The Head Teacher said that after checking the classroom it was discovered that there was a bottle disposed in a classroom bin which looked like a perfume bottle and contained a blue substance.
A Check by The Independent Observer Crew at Nchanga North General Hospital found that the pupils were taken to the wards while others were brought in.
And Nchanga North General Hospital Medical Superintendent, Samuel Phiri confirmed that they had received the pupils suspected to have been choked by unknown substance from the school.
Among the people who rushed to the scene were Chingola Mayor Johnson Kang’ombe, Acting District Commissioner Maximilan Makasa and Chingola Town Clerk Kabombo Mutekela.
In the recent past Chingola District is well known for gassing and hacking incidents.
