Twenty-nine teachers and students from Zhongshan Elementary School in New Taipei were on a graduation trip to Tainan. Around noon today, after dining in the Rende District, they were heading to the Chimei Museum for an outdoor educational activity when a group of students on one of the tour buses reportedly experienced discomfort after accidentally spraying pepper spray. Seven students developed symptoms such as difficulty breathing, tearing, and nausea. The tour bus immediately took them to the Tainan Municipal Hospital emergency room. After initial treatment by hospital staff, the seven students’ symptoms were alleviated, and they were discharged at 4 p.m. to continue their graduation trip.
It is understood that the incident was likely caused by a self-defense pepper spray canister in a student’s bag that leaked accidentally. Students in the enclosed space inhaled the substance, leading to physical discomfort. The Tainan City Fire Department’s Disaster Response Center received a report at 1:46 p.m. today that individuals inside the tour bus felt unwell after inhaling an unidentified gas and went to the Tainan Municipal Hospital emergency room.
The Tainan City Health Bureau further learned that the individuals on the tour bus were elementary school students who had accidentally come into contact with pepper spray inside the vehicle, causing multiple students to feel unwell. After initial diagnosis at the hospital, they were found to be fine—just a false alarm. This incident involved a graduation trip for students from Zhongshan Elementary School in Banqiao District, New Taipei, with a total of six tour buses and approximately 180 people.
(China Times)