According to police, eleven students were taken to the hospital on Wednesday, February 1, after inhaling chemical fumes from a garbage pile that had been set on fire by ragpickers near their school and contained some expired medications. The police informed that the incident happened in the neighbourhood of Kotwali police station, Kamhariya Bagh, in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Near a private school, a few ragpickers burned some outdated medications along with trash. Circle Officer (CO) Naveen Kumar stated that it appears the students inhaled the chemical fumes and that this caused their health to deteriorate, stated a report by PTI.

The principal of the private school Rumi Tiwari said, "At around 11 am, fumes from the fire started coming towards the school and some students started coughing. The school staff acted in time and made arrangements to send the students back home." The principal also added, "Eleven students, including four girls, were taken to the district hospital."

According to the police, three of the students were later sent to Lucknow for additional medical treatment. A police team arrived at the scene in the meantime and detained three men for burning trash close to the school. "We have detained one Shekhu, Sher Ali and Babloo who were found burning garbage and expired medicines behind the school. The matter is being investigated," Kumar, stated the reported by PTI.