Asbestos News
Asbestos ceiling collapse in India injures students
The collapse of an asbestos sheet ceiling at the Government Primary School in Barkas, India, left a number of students injured, according to the Times of India.The news source reports that authorities said a portion of a wall that was under construction at an adjacent school collapsed onto the asbestos ceiling, which led to the ceiling itself coming down into the classroom.
Three of the injured students were reportedly admitted to a nearby hospital, according to the Times.
A collapse of an asbestos-containing structure can also have serious long-term effects, as the inhalation of loose asbestos fibers can ultimately cause lung cancer, asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in the tissues surrounding a majority of the body's internal organs.
These diseases can have particularly devastating consequences for children, as the symptoms typically do not manifest themselves until years after initial exposure to the carcinogen, meaning the students may begin experiencing problems related to their exposure in their 30s and 40s.
7/28/11
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