A Number Of Elementary School Students In Banyumas Affected By Tear Gas, Were Rushed To The Hospital Because They Were Short Of Breath

Head of SDN Purwanegara 1 Dahinah accompanied by 4A Mayor Pascalis Adi (right) provided information regarding the tear gas / DOK ANTARA incident

BANYUMAS - A number of students of the Purwanegara 1 State Elementary School, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, were hit by tear gas after school break, Friday, October 13. As a result of the incident, several students were taken to Puskesmas II North Purwokerto because they experienced shortness of breath and felt pain, while the other students were sent home early. One of the Purwanegara 1 Elementary School teachers, Yayuk, said that most of the students affected by the tear gas were 3B, 4A, and 4B students who happened to be windowing their classroom facing the north towards the Watumas Mobile Brigade Headquarters. "When we entered the classroom, several children screamed for pain in their eyes and shortness of breath. The children who were still outside, we asked to enter another classroom which would be safe while praying," he said as quoted by Antara. The head of SDN Purwanegara 1 Dahinah admitted that he did not know for sure the chronology of the incident because at that time he was attending a meeting outside the school. Nevertheless, he said his party would immediately give directions to teachers at schools to take the best action for students. In addition, he said, his party asked for permission from the District Coordinator (Konwircam) of the North Purwokerto Education Office to send students home early. "Although this school has been close to Mako Brimob and the Banyumas Police for years, this is the first time something like that has happened," he said. Meanwhile, 4A Mayor Pascalis Adi said the incident occurred at around 09.30 WIB when several grade 4 and grade 3 students experienced pain in the eyes and nose. According to him, the children were then transferred to classroom 1 to be calmed down and the other five children were taken to Puskesmas II North Purwokerto. From the results of the doctor's examination, he said, the condition of the children was not worrying so they were allowed to go home. "Earlier there was confirmation from the Police and Brimob that there was a training on the shooting of tear gas. The indication was that the gas was carried by the wind to the south or towards the school," he explained. He said that from the Banyumas and Brimob Police, he apologized to the school, children, and parents of students and made the incident a lesson not to carry out similar training during school hours.

Until this news was revealed at 12.55 WIB there had been no official statement from the Banyumas Police regarding the incident.