Mass Illness Hits Students at Belonia School

Agartala: Thirteen students from Uttar Bharat Chandranagar Higher Secondary School in Belonia faced breathing troubles and chest pains this week. Nine Class VII students collapsed between 12:30 pm and 1 pm on Wednesday. School staff called an ambulance to rush the children to Belonia Sub-Divisional Hospital.

The kids are stable. By 6:15 pm, doctors sent five students home. Four children stay at the hospital for observation. This follows a similar incident days earlier when three students showed identical symptoms in the same classroom. Parents are worried.

District officials checked the room. They found functional fans and enough airflow. Administration sources now point to a potential psychological cause. Officials stated that it could be a case of "mass hysteria." Experts note such episodes often strike groups of adolescents who appear to be frightened of something.

Belonia Sub-Divisional Magistrate Debajyoti Roy visited the facility to talk with doctors and parents. The Chief Minister's Office ordered close monitoring. The South Tripura Chief Medical Officer is overseeing the situation. Authorities planned a medical camp and counseling session for 11 am Thursday at the school. A specialized team of doctors will evaluate the students. Critics previously alleged that teachers failed to act quickly to transport the students, though staff later arrived at the hospital to check on the children.