School student splashes acid on 18 classmates

BEIJING - A student of a middle school in China splashed sulphuric acid on 18 of his classmates after he was involved in a quarrel with them, a media report said.

The 18 students of Jiadong Middle School in Lufeng city in Guangdong province are suffering from different degrees of burns after a student named Cai splashed sulphuric acid he had with him during a quarrel, Xinhua reported Saturday.

Of the 18 students, 12 were sent to hospitals for treatment, while the rest six have been sent home after medication, officials from the Lufeng publicity department said.

Five students have serious burns on their faces, hands and backs. The burns may cause scars or malformation and the cost of treatment could be fairly high, doctors said.