Several students of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state, were hospitalised on Wednesday after another gas leak permeated the school.
The incident reportedly occurred during school hours when a pungent smell enveloped the premises, causing discomfort and breathing difficulties among students and teachers.
Details of the incident, particularly the number of those affected, were still sketchy as of the time of filing this report.
The victims were said to have been rushed to the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, for medical treatment.
Ola Oresanya, commissioner for environment, said the government has commenced investigations to determine the source of the emission, the third such incident recorded in the community within two months.
“Yes, it’s true. It happened yesterday,” he said.
“We are working to find the cause of the leakage. We will soon issue an official statement on it.”
On April 1, at least 30 students of Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School were also hospitalised following a suspected gas leak on the premises.
At the time, several students and teachers experienced breathing difficulties after fumes believed to have emanated from nearby carbide cylinders spread across the school, triggering panic among members of the school community.
Oresanya had said during an inspection of the area, his team discovered a nearby bush and suspected the fumes may have originated from there.
However, on May 15, tension gripped the community after another air pollution incident, believed to have been caused by a gas leak at Anglican Girls Grammar School.
Many students reportedly fainted and were immediately taken to the General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, for treatment.
Confirming the development, Oresanya said the government had activated a multi-agency environmental and public health assessment team comprising environmental regulators, emergency responders, and technical air quality experts.
According to him, the team was tasked with determining “the source of the emissions, assess spatial extent and exposure risk, and evaluate associated gases such as hydrogen sulphide (H₂S), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other relevant atmospheric parameters”.
