13 Schools Shut Down After Children Fall Sick From Poisonous Gas

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At least 13 schools in Pasir Gudang, Johor have been shut down today after 30 school children were rushed to the hospital due to poisonous gas leakage. 
Previously on Thursday, the media reported that 1,400 students and staff of SMK Pasir Putih dan SK Pasir Putih had immediately evacuated the school area right after several classmates were found retching and fainting from inhaling leaked methane gas

A schoolgirl being attended to by a paramedic after fainting from exposure to hazardous methane fumes at school
In the meantime, around 80 people affected by the poisonous gas are being warded at Sultan Ismail Hospital including a school canteen operator and an ambulance driver. All the victims are reported to be in stable condition and are still under hospital observation. 
School staff and an ambulance driver are among the victims affected by the poisonous gas leakage
Local authorities believe that the hazardous methane fumes had originated from toxic chemicals which had been illegally dumped in a river near Taman Pasir Putih in Pasir Gudang by an unknown lorry seen earlier in the same morning. Police are still investigating the case to find the culprit behind the said incident. Johor police chief Commissioner Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd urged those with information or who had witnessed any suspicious vehicles near the location to immediately contact the state police hotline at 07-2212999 or lodge a report at the nearest police station

Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching said the ministry will cooperate with the Department of Environment (DOE) to identify the parties responsible for the life-threatening incident. Meanwhile, the State Fire and Rescue Department's Hazmat unit have collected samples from the river to be tested to ascertain what chemical had been dumped

State Fire and Rescue Department's Hazmat unit are collecting samples from Sungai Kim Kim river to be brought to the Department of Chemistry for lab test.

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