Two pupils suffer acid burns at Kohsar varsity

Dissatisfied with admin’s behaviour, families shift victims to private facility in Pindi

RAWALPINDI:

Two female students suffered burns injuries after the acid they were using in a science experiment at the laboratory splashed onto their hands and faces at Kohsar University in Murree, it was emerged on Tuesday. A technical error was said to be the cause of the accident.

The university administration swiftly alerted the Rescue 1122 emergency service. Rescue 1122 responders transported the victims to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Murree. The hospital staff provided immediate medical attention and treatment to the students. The girls were also served with juices.

The university officials notified the students' families who took them home after necessary treatment.

However, the families of the two students became furious over the university administration's cold response to the incident. Sources claimed that the students' faces suffered severe burns and the initial medical treatment was not sufficient. The families later shifted the girls to a private facility in Rawalpindi for treatment.

According to family sources, the two girls are currently enduring extreme pain due to severe skin burns. Questions are being raised about how the acid could have splashed directly just onto the girls' faces.

The university administration has labelled the acid spill incident as accidental and has initiated an internal inquiry into the matter, as directed by the vice-chancellor. The university's inquiry is underway and statements of students, teachers, and lab assistants present in the laboratory are being recorded.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2024.