Durban - PUPILS and teachers at Vukuzakhe High School in uMlazi were on Tuesday still experiencing the after-effects of the mystery powder that was released at the school on Monday morning.
Several pupils and teachers were left in a serious condition and were given oxygen after a small ball pupils had played with, which was brought into the school, burst and released a powder into the air.
Yesterday morning, the Education Department, Emergency Medical Rescue Services and Environmental Health officials were at the school.
A department official was transporting pupils back to school from the clinic.
Those affected were coughing, had seizures and complained of sore throats.
One pupil, who had just returned from the clinic, said she was still experiencing the symptoms of having been exposed to the substance.
“I had to go back to the clinic because I was suffering from terrible chest pains and a headache. They gave me pills at the clinic,” the Grade 8 pupil said.
She added that some of the pupils had spent the night in hospital and returned to school yesterday, while others remained at home.
One teacher said they returned to work yesterday even though they were not 100% better.
Some pupils who were not transported to hospital or the clinic on Monday were being attended to by nurses at a mobile clinic parked on the school premises. It is thought that all pupils who were taken to hospital had been discharged.
Metro police spokesperson Superintendent Glen Ndlovu said the eThekwini Fire and Rescue Department had declared the school safe for
classes.
“The SAPS Bomb Squad recovered the powder substance and will send it to Pretoria for identification,” Ndlovu said.
Lenmed Ethekwini Hospital and Heart Centre manager Niresh Bechan said a teacher with respiratory distress was flown by helicopter to the hospital, where he was treated, stabilised and discharged.
Health Department spokesperson Ncumisa Mafunda said 95 pupils were seen to at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital and were discharged.