UDUPI: As many as 23 girls of Rukmini Shetty Memorial College, Barkur, who were participating in an NSS camp fell sick and became unconscious under mysterious circumstances on Wednesday night at Vaddarse in Udupi district.
Dr Ganesh Kamath of N R Acharya hospital at Koteshwar, who treated the students, said that all the students had suffered “acute panic attack”. “They did not have any unusual symptoms. We kept them under observation for over 14 hours. There is no symptom to prove anything unusual. It is nothing but an acute panic attack,” he added. However, there were rumours that a few boys had sprayed chloroform on the girls.
It is said some girls after attending a cultural programme at the camp were returning to their rooms in a primary school, some distance away from the venue, for the night. They noticed some boys nearby and started screaming. As they ran towards the camp venue, many fell unconscious. As many as 14 girls were admitted to the Government Hospital in Kota and others were rushed to N R Acharya Hospital in Koteshwar.
Superintendent of Police Dr Booralingaiah told Deccan Herald a few girls started screaming when they saw two or three boys in the area. Soon other girls in the group also started screaming and while running towards the camp they fell unconscious. They have been treated in hospitals and are out of danger.
The SP dismissed as rumours that chloroform was sprayed on the girls.
He also did not agree with the charge that students had fallen ill following food poisoning. He did not rule out the presence of a few boys in the area. But they had not caused any harm to the girls, he insisted.
