Questions must be answered by investigators at Changzhou school

THE FOREIGN LANGUAGES SCHOOL in Changzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, where 493 students have been diagnosed with a variety of diseases, continues to make headlines. The school is located where three chemical plants once operated, and an environmental investigation team has been sent to determine if high levels of pollutants such as chlorobenzene are the cause of the students' health issues. Thepaper.cn said on Tuesday:

Some have pointed out that similar scandals used to happen in developed nations, but that's no excuse for the scandal in Changzhou. The right to a healthy environment is a fundamental human right, and you cannot compare 2016 with the 1950s.

While an independent environmental report found the site of the school is heavily polluted, the Changzhou municipal government has denied this. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has sent a team to find out the truth. If the site is found to be contaminated, we hope the investigation will be able to answer some questions: