Perilous Times
DOZENS of schoolgirls admitted to hospital after a poison
gas attack on their school.
* From: AFP
* August 25, 2010 11:38PM
DOZENS of schoolgirls have been admitted to hospital after a suspected
poison gas attack on their school.
:Around 55 people, including nine teachers and 46 students at the Totya
Girls' High School, following an apparent poisoning incident, were
taken to hospital," education ministry spokesman Mohammed Asef Nang
said.
"They are in stable condition," he said, adding that some had become
dizzy and others lapsed into unconsciousness.
The suspected attack is the fifth such incident this year in Kabul and
the 11th nationwide, officials said, though they could not confirm the
exact cause.
Blood tests from girls affected in previous incidents had not yielded
any conclusive results, they said.
Some observers have speculated that they were cases of mass hysteria,
though Mr Nang said that Wednesday's incident was "an act of cowardice
by enemies of women and education", a reference to the Taliban.
"This is not an accident. Similar incidents have happened in girls'
schools before. We think there are groups who do not tolerate
development and progress - their aim is to prevent girls from going to
school," said Mr Nang.
Fifteen-year-old Ruqia, who was hospitalised after the incident, said:
"I smelled something very, very foul as I was sitting in my classroom.
I saw my classmates falling down, my vision got blurred and I heard
everyone screaming before I became unconscious."
Police said the incident was under investigation.
The Taliban banned female education and work during their brutal
1996-2001 rule.
Since their overthrow in a US-led invasion, millions of girls have
returned to the classroom and many women now work outside the home.
Read more:
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/afghan-girls-in-suspected-poison-attack/story-e6frfku0-1225910139888#ixzz0xdqKBXiM