They were among 56 students whom the Penang Fire and Rescue Department had quarantined up to 2.30pm for the Health Department to conduct an examination, said the Fire and Rescue Department’s operations commander M. Vijayan.

He said the mercury had spilled yesterday evening but the accident was detected only this morning.

The service was alerted to the incident at 10.12am, he said, adding that the Health Department conducted an examination of all the quarantined students and sent six of them to the hospital.

He also said that 22 Fire and Rescue Service officers and personnel, including from the Hazmat team, had cleaned up the classrooms of the spilled mercury by 2pm.

(Mercury poisoning can result in several diseases, while toxic effects include damage to the brain, kidneys and lungs.)

– BERNAMA