Thirty-three children among several people were injured after a helium cylinder and a gas balloon exploded on the premises of a private school in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district on Thursday.
According to the police, the children – students of the Vivekananda Vidya Niketan in Ambikapur – were playing on the school ground during their lunch break at the time of the incident.
Superintendent of Police (Surguja) Sunil Sharma said that they sustained minor injuries while the three men who were inflating the balloon were also injured when the cylinder they were using exploded.
Mr. Sharma added that the students were rushed to different hospitals and some of them were undergoing medical treatment.
It is learnt that members of Hindu Ekta Manch, an NGO, were using helium cylinders to fill air balloons.
“We will be questioning the school management members as well as the committee which was filling air balloons,” said Mr. Sharma on the progress of the probe. He added that the spot was sealed and CCTV footage was also being checked.
