According to village leader Roslan Hassan, the students at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Maju Jaya suffered symptoms such as nausea, difficulty breathing, and dry throat. The youngsters, who ranged in age from 10 to 12, were treated medically and then sent home. “Parents were allowed to bring their children home after odour pollution was detected in a tributary near here,” he added, adding that afternoon classes had been cancelled.
He said locals hoped there would be no repeat of the odour pollution, which might harm people, particularly youngsters and the elderly. Roslan also hoped that the authorities would take action against those guilty for the tragedy.
Meanwhile, Aznan Tamin, chairman of the state Education and Information Committee, confirmed that the institution had been ordered to close. He added the district emergency management committee would meet later to decide whether to close other schools in the area.
“For other schools, we will take precautionary measures including mandating the use of facemasks,” he said.In relation to this, the police arrested two individuals on suspicion of involvement in a spate of chemical odour pollution instances in the district. Johor Bahru (South) Police Head Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said the two, aged 23 and 28, were apprehended around 11 p.m. in an apartment complex here.
If convicted, they may face up to 30 years in prison as well as a fine.
In the last week, numerous locations in Johor Bahru have experienced chemical contamination.
Raub also urged anyone with information on illegal chemical waste dumping to contact their hotline at 07-2182323.
