22 Uzbek Pupils Hospitalized After Cotton Field Spraying Near School

Twenty-two pupils in southern Uzbekistan were hospitalized after chemicals were sprayed on a cotton field beside their school, the Interior Ministry said. Seven remained in hospital as of September 29, while 15 had been discharged. The children, all in grades 10 and 11 at School No. 51 in Guzar district, Kashkadarya region, fell ill on September 23. They were taken to the district medical center around midday with nausea and headaches. The ministry said the Shokhmalik Shermurod Ugli farm had sprayed the nearby field at about 9 a.m. It used Agro Augron, a chemical applied to make cotton plants shed their leaves before harvesting. Twenty hectares of the farm’s 88 hectares lie close to the school. Investigators suspect the pupils inhaled chemical fumes and have ordered expert examinations. The authorities have opened a criminal case under Article 201, Part 1, of Uzbekistan’s Criminal Code, concerning violations of rules for handling harmful chemicals. The Kashkadarya regional police investigation department is conducting the inquiry.