Around 12 students affected as gas shell falls near school during police training in Karachi.

KARACHI -- Around a dozen schoolchildren were affected by tear-gas shelling and smoke coming from the Razzaqabad police training centre during training of policemen on Thursday, officials said.

The condition of two girls was stated to be serious.

DIG East Amir Farooqi told Dawn that police trainees were getting anti-riot training of how to fire tear-gas shells at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto police training centre on the National Highway. Apparently because of the wind direction, gas fumes swept into a nearby school.

Police officials promise to review training strategy to avert such incidents

Some children, aged from eight to 10, got breathing problems and a few of them started vomiting. They were taken to hospital and after first aid, most of them were discharged.

Shah Latif Town SHO Rana Maqsood said that Amna, 13, and Samreen, 14, were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for further treatment as their condition was 'serious'.

He added that around a dozen children were affected, who were immediately rescued by the police and water was given to them.

The incident triggered anger among the teachers, area residents and students, who held a protest demonstration there. The police and training centre officials met the protesters and assured them of proper treatment of the children and preventing such incidents in the future.

It also prompted the higher authorities to take notice.

DIG (training) Zulfiqar Larik in a statement said that a gas shell was carried by the strong winds coming from the opposite direction and it landed outside the centre near the...