Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: If the poisoning was intentional, it would be the first time that a boys' school had been targeted in Afghanistan.
[16 May 2012] - More than 200 Afghan school boys have fallen ill in eastern Afghanistan, with one government official saying they were "mysteriously poisoned". "The cause of their poisoning is not yet clear," Ministry of Education spokesman Amanullah Iman told DPA. Iman said the students were taken to nearby medical facilities, where 71 remain in critical condition. The school is located in the Mandozai district of Khost province. A government envoy has been dispatched to the province to investigate the incident. There are suspicions that the poisoning may have been intentional. If true, it would be the first time that a boys' school had been targeted in Afghanistan. In April, students at a girls' school in northern Badakshan province fell ill after their drinking water supply was apparently poisoned by radical extremists opposed to female education. "Nobody has yet been blamed for this incident," Iman said. Authorities could not confirm local reports that a poisonous gas had been released on the school's premises. Further Information:
pdf: http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/afghan-school-boys-sick-after-suspected-poi...