Hanoi, August 26: A college professor was severely burned and 13 learners also hurt when a former student upset over an English test splashed him with acid, a report said on Tuesday.
Dang Huu Dung, a professor at the Agriculture and Forestry University, received acid burns to a third of his body, the Thanh Nien newspaper website reported, quoting the head of the burns unit at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
The professor said that a former student used a large bowl to splash him with the acid before chasing him with a knife, the report said.
Thirteen students standing close to the teacher were also burned, it said. Police on Monday arrested Tran Xuan Thanh, 28, who finished his four-year course in 2006 but did not graduate because he failed the English test on mechanics.
It said the former student allegedly told police that he recently asked Dung to help him apply for another English test but the professor refused, saying it was too late.
“I thought Dung was not fulfilling his responsibilities towards his students,” Thanh allegedly told police, adding that he took five litres of acid to the school.
Learning is greatly valued in Vietnamese society and places at university are highly coveted.
–Agencies–