14 kids suffer burns as ‘lab chemical bottles explode’ at private school in Lodhran

BAHAWALPUR: Fourteen schoolchildren, including nine girls, suffered burns after bottles containing an acidic chemical exploded at a private school in Lodhran. According to Lodhran Rescue 1122 media coordinator Mr. Safdar, the incident occurred when students from Class I to IV were playing with a ball during recess time in a shared classroom.

The ball accidentally hit the bottles, which fell on the floor and exploded, causing the acidic chemical to spill onto the children. Emergency services, including Rescue 1122 teams and multiple ambulances, responded to the scene and provided first aid to the affected children, who were subsequently transported to the district headquarters hospital.

The school owner fled the scene immediately after the incident. Local officials from the police and administration arrived at the scene and began investigations. One of the affected children, a six-year-old named Hasan, suffered 27 percent burns and was transferred to the Burns Unit of Nishtar Hospital in Multan for treatment. Other affected children, ranging in age from four to fourteen, are being treated at the DHQ hospital.

The school owner, Chaudhry Aslam, has been booked for negligence and is currently the subject of a police investigation. An FIR has been registered against him under sections 284, 285, 286, and 337-H of the Pakistan Penal Code. The Lodhran police PRO, Shani Muhammad Ramzan, stated that a team is actively searching for the school owner's arrest.