TWENTY-TWO college students and two security guards felt dizzy and some even fainted after inhaling smoke used by students in a dance presentation in Bacolod City last Monday, a city official said yesterday.
Dr. Anna Maria Laarni Pornan, chief of the Bacolod City disaster risk reduction and management office, said six of the students and the two guards were brought to the hospital but were later discharged.
“They would like their performance to be entertaining so they decided to have props,” said Pornan, referring to the students of the Bacolod City College.
The students’ special performance, held at the college’s activity center, was part of their physical education subject.
“The area is enclosed, the activity center is air-conditioned so it may have contributed to the dizziness because it’s not well-ventilated. Usually, smoke bombs are used in open air,” said Pornan.
Pornan said the students ordered the colored smoke bomb online. She said the seller told the students the smoke was odorless but said it smelt like it came from a lighted matchstick.
“Some of them fainted,” said Pornans.
“Out of the 22 students, six were brought to the hospital for observation,” said Pornan.
Five of the students and the two security guards brought to the hospital were discharged on the same day. She said the sixth student was discharged from the hospital after an overnight stay.
Pornan said the city’s provincial disaster risk reduction office has coordinated with the local police to investigate the incident.
She said samples of materials used in the presentation have been sent to the PNP to determine if toxic materials were used in the preparation of the smoke bomb.
