Faulty generator causes breathing difficulties for 50 students in Kanhangad

Around 50 students from Little Flower Girls Higher Secondary School in Kanhangad experienced breathing difficulties on Thursday after a faulty generator at a neighboring government hospital emitted black smoke into their classrooms.

The incident occurred when the generator at the Women and Children’s Government Hospital, which shares a wall with the school, malfunctioned. The affected students were from Classes 5, 6, 7, 11 and 12 with the first signs of trouble appearing when 10 students reported breathing issues. Panic spread quickly, and a total of 50 out of the 100 students in these classes felt unwell and were taken to the same hospital.

The hospital authorities said 38 students were kept under observation, while 12 others were sent back home after they were found to be fine. Seven students were transferred to the district hospital for further observation on their parents’ request. None of the students required oxygen support or had severe issues. The Women and Children’s Hospital, lacking sufficient number of doctors, received additional medical support from the district hospital.

Hospital Superintendent Dr. Santhosh said steps were being taken to prevent similar incidents in the future. The hospital management committee, chaired by Kanhangad municipal chairperson K.V. Sujatha, decided to hire a new generator until the faulty one was repaired and to extend the exhaust pipe to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, teachers and parents demanded that the smoke pipe be placed upwards, or else the generator be shifted to another place.

District Collector K. Inbasekar said the situation at the place was under control. The Collector has also ordered an inquiry into the incident. The Collector said that the Kanhangad Sub-Collector had been asked to conduct an inquiry and submit a report.

A preliminary investigation revealed that the hospital’s generator had been installed without proper safety measures, including an exhaust pipe which was not positioned at a safe height. Instead, the exhaust pipe faced the classrooms. Despite being a new, automatic model serviced a week prior, the generator malfunctioned due to erratic power supply on Thursday morning.