JHELUM: At least 66 female students lost consciousness while 38 of them were hospitalised in serious condition as a result of anti-dengue fumigation carried out in Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Jhelum’s Domaily area Saturday.

The critically affected girls were taken to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Jhelum, after about three hours when ambulances arrived at the incident.

The headmistress of the school had ordered that the school’s main entrance and exit gates be closed during school hours on Saturday, due to which the parents of affected students, who rushed to the school after being informed, were forced to climb the institution’s walls to enter the premises.

Authorities were not informed about the incident until it was reported on media.

Executive District Officer (EDO) for Education Khalid Mehmood said that the school was fumigated after school hours on Friday. But the vapour, he said, was trapped in the classrooms and caused the girls to collapse when they entered the rooms next day.

Medical Superintendent Dr Shaukat Mahmood said the condition of the affected students was out of danger, with many of them having been discharged.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif took notice of the incident, after which Punjab Minister for Health Rana Mashood, Health Adviser Khwaja Salman Rafiq and Punjab Chief Sectary Khizar Hayat Gondal arrived at the scene.

According to the provincial health minister, the school’s principal arranged for dengue fumigation at the school through a local vendor who had allegedly used substandard pesticide in large amounts.

Authorities arrested the government school’s headmistress, watchmen and the local pesticide-seller.

CM Shahbaz Sharif later chaired a meeting which took place at the District Coordination Officer's (DCO) office through video link. The meeting was attended by Punjab chief secretary, health minister, health adviser and members of the national and provincial assemblies.

Following the meeting, the chief minister issued notifications to suspend DCOs, EDOs Health, and EDOs Education in Jhelum and Attock.

The incident took place only two days after Dawn reported 30 female students lost consciousness while over 350 others were affected as a result of anti-dengue fumigation carried out in another government school in Attock.

Hospitals in Punjab have seen a surge in patients affected by Dengue virus in recent months. Dawn reported that despite spending millions of rupees on the anti-dengue measures, the disease is apparently getting out of the control of the health department in Rawalpindi.