Dozens of students hospitalized after accidental ingestion of rat poison

Many of the students are showing symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, with some cases even experiencing seizures, brain and heart damage, said doctors.

The students, mainly from grades 1 to 5 at Phu Binh Primary School, admitted that they had drunk a liquid contained in a red plastic tube, which had a syrup-like smell but a bitter taste.

Urine tests conducted by the National Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed that the students were poisoned by fluoroacetate, an extremely toxic rat poison.

According to their parents and the school, the incident occurred on January 21 when a student found chemical tubes in a plastic bag near a tea hill close to the school. The students shared the liquid, mistakenly thinking it was syrup.

Many of them later showed symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, and in some cases, seizures, as well as brain and heart damage.

Meanwhile, the Central Pediatrics Hospital is also treating five students involved in the same incident. Doctors have urgently conducted comprehensive assessments, including toxicology tests, heart ultrasounds, and MRI scans.

Doctors are closely monitoring the students’ health to make further evaluation in the coming days. Authorities are also investigating the source of the chemicals to prevent similar incidents in the future.