Commissioner: White Nile schoolgirls ‘unwell from paint fumes’

The Commissioner of Rabak locality in White Nile state, Mousa El Sadig, has blamed drowsiness and fainting symptoms suffered by dozens of schoolgirls at El Marwa school in El Hilla El Jadeeda on paint fumes. Parents of the victims question the commissioner’s explanation.

Commissioner El Sadig pointed out that “the medical examination found that the students were suffering from hysteria, convulsions, and drowsiness”.

He confirmed the transfer of four cases to Khartoum, while 15 cases are still hospitalised at Rabak hospital.

Conflicting statements

However, the parents of the students doubted this, citing conflicting statements by the officials, who said at the beginning of the incident that the fainting was caused by a herbicide.

Schools closed

The Education Office of Rabak in White Nile state closed the basic and secondary schools in the locality for an indefinite period after dozens of students became drowsy and some fainted.

A teacher told Radio Dabanga that about 100 students of El Marwa Basic School in El Hilla El Jadeeda complained about drowsiness on Wednesday. Some of the pupils and students fainted as well.

Other sources reported new cases in Asalaya, Abu Tileih, and Hamari on Thursday.

Dye poisoning

The director of medical emergency of Khartoum, Mohamed Osman reported receiving of more than 900 cases of poisoning by dye in less than two years. Osman highlighted that the bulk of these cases involved suicide.

He said that hospitals have received 227 cases since the beginning of this year and 705 cases last year.