Police have camped at a school in Tharaka Nithi following the death of two Form Four students who allegedly died after consuming ethanol at school.
The two candidates from Karigini Mixed Day Secondary School are said to have consumed ethanol at the school laboratory, police and the school said.
Tharaka Nithi County Police Commander Zacchaeus Ngeno said 11 other students who include four girls and seven boys are receiving treatment at Chuka County Referral Hospital where they were taken on Saturday afternoon.
The students took the chemical on Thursday evening but only one showed signs of dizziness immediately.
“We have since established it is the cause of the deaths,” he said.
He said when a multiagency team of security, education and health officials visited the school on Saturday morning they were able to establish through the other students who consumed the substance that it was ethanol.
Also Read: Two Traders Intercepted While Trying To Smuggle 6,200 Litres Of Ethanol Concealed in Maize
He however said investigations are still on the matter and will reveal more.
The investigators picked samples of the chemical for analysis.
“An autopsy on the bodies and tests on those in hospital will tell us more. Let us wait,” he said.
He said the two who died had taken a large amount of ethanol but probably would have been saved if they immediately sought treatment.
“The deceased were rushed to hospital on Saturday morning after their health deteriorated.”
Officials at the hospital said though those admitted are responding well, they will remain in the hospital for some time as they are being observed because even the two who died were in stable condition until
Friday evening when they succumbed.
Officials were set to visit the institution on Sunday as part of the ongoing probe.
This comes as the school and others conducted rehearsals for their examinations.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
