Panic At Durban School: Dozens Of Pupils Struggle To Breathe After Mystery Gas Scare

A major emergency response was triggered at Umbilo Secondary School on Thursday morning after several learners reported breathing difficulties.

Paramedics were called to the school shortly after 10am when pupils began complaining about a strong smell believed to be from an unknown gas that had spread through the area.

The alarming incident quickly escalated into what emergency services described as a mass casualty situation.

Around 20 pupils treated by paramedics

According to Garrith Jamieson from ALS Paramedics, emergency teams arrived to find numerous learners experiencing breathing problems.

“Initial reports were that multiple learners were suffering difficulty in breathing due to some sort of gas in the air. We are unsure where this gas or chemical smell is coming from,” Jamieson said.

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Paramedics assessed the affected learners at the scene, with around 20 pupils receiving treatment before being transported to hospital for further care.

Durban School evacuated amid concerns over possible industrial gas

School management decided to evacuate the premises and close the school as a precaution while emergency responders investigated the situation.

The south Durban area, including Bluff and Wentworth, is home to several industrial companies, raising concerns that the smell could have originated from a nearby facility.

Fire department officials were also deployed to the scene to ensure the school environment was safe for emergency teams and to help determine the source of the suspected gas.