PATNA : Five girl students fainted due to a major gas leak after a PNG pipeline burst during construction work in the Rohua area under Mushahri police station limits of Muzaffarpur district on Friday.The affected students were rushed to the nearby Primary Health Centre (PHC). The incident occurred when construction work was underway.While digging with an earthmover machine, workers accidentally damaged the PNG pipeline.There was a loud sound followed by a massive gas leak, which created chaos and a stampede-like situation in the locality.On receiving information, local administration, police and PNG agency teams reached the spot. Efforts are on to stop the gas leak and bring the situation under control.As a safety measure, the entire area around the leak has been evacuated.The incident occurred near Rohua High School in Mushahri block, triggering a loud blast-like sound and a thick cloud of gas.The incident caused panic in the school located about 100 meters away, where classes were underway at the time.At the time of the incident, around 200 students were present in the school.As teachers began evacuating students, several girls came in contact with the leaking gas and fainted due to suffocation.The schools were immediately shut down as a precaution.After first aid, 5 students were referred to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur for better treatment and observation.The affected students have been identified as: Nahida Khatoon, Amrita Kumari, Rakhi Kumari, Divya Kumari and Vishakha Kumari.According to the school, the group includes 3 Class 9 students, 1 Class 10 student and 1 class- 11 student. Their condition is now stated to be stable, but they have been kept under medical observation at SKMCH.Parents of the girls reached the hospital soon after getting information.Swami Sudhan, In-charge Headmaster, Rohua High School said, “Construction work for a drain was going on in front of the school. When the gas pipeline was cut there was a loud blast-like sound. The children got scared. A dense cloud of gas spread for some time. Once the situation was normal, children were safely evacuated and the unwell students were sent to hospital.”Local social worker Neeraj Kumar Mishra said BUIDCO is constructing a large drain in Muzaffarpur through Mushahri and onwards.A PNG gas pipeline also passes through the same route.He said the pipeline was damaged during JCB excavation, which caused the gas leak.Construction supervisor of the site, Ajit Kumar said the drain work had started on Thursday.According to him, “an Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) team had stopped the work on Thursday and had asked for it to be done in their presence on Friday morning. On Friday, the IOCL team was present at the spot with one employee during excavation.”He added that valves on both sides of the pipeline were closed at the time of the incident, yet gas leaked out.After the incident, teams from the Gas Company, district administration and Mushahri police reached the spot.They brought the leak under control and started an investigation.Mushahri SHO, Sneha Kumari said, “All the students are between 13 and 15 years. They are stable and the situation is under control now.”
