WUNRN
http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2015/05/19/tens-female-students-poisoned-samangan
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http://www.thestatesman.com/news/world/60-girls-poisoned-at-afghanistan-school/64423.html
Afghanistan – 60 Students Poisoned at Girls’ School
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IANS –
Afghanistan, Kabul – 20 May 2015 - At least 60 girls fell unconscious at a
school in northern Afghanistan after they inhaled a chemical allegedly released
by the Taliban, official sources told Efe news agency on Wednesday.
The
incident occurred on Tuesday in the Khurram Sarbagh district in Samangan
province shortly after students at the girls' school entered their classrooms,
said Khairullah Anosh, governor of the province.
"Dozens
of them first felt itching on their bodies and later became unconscious and
fell to the ground," explained Anosh.
The
poisoning was caused by a strong-smelling white powder, sprinkled throughout
the school's premises.
Samangan
Police Chief Akram Begzad said 30 students were taken to hospitals, while those
in more serious condition were transferred to a hospital in Aibak, the
province's capital.
"Initial
investigation shows that Taliban fighters, who don't want girls to attend
schools, were behind the incident," said Begzad, adding that the
insurgents often carried out campaigns against girls' education in the region.
Cases of
poisoning are common in girls' schools in Afghanistan, though their causes
often remain a mystery.
In 2013,
230 students were poisoned in four separate incidents.
While
analysts blamed the Taliban, spokespersons for the militants denied any
involvement.