Hundreds Ill After Toxic Waste Dumped In Ivory Coast
Pastor Dale Morgan
Hundreds Ill After Toxic Waste Dumped In Ivory Coast*
by Staff Writers
Abidjan (AFP) Sep 04, 2006
Several hundreds of Ivorians have been taken ill, some seriously, after
inhaling toxic fumes from waste dumped two weeks ago, reportedly by a
foreign-registered vessel, sources said Monday.
The teaching university hospital of Cocody, situated in one of the
districts bordering the Abidjan lagoon, has treated more than 340 people
between last Thursday and Monday, officials at the hospital told AFP.
Some people were seriously affected, said the source who asked not to be
named.
An unknown number of people were also taken ill and treated at
Treichville hospital in the commercial capital, he said.
Several daily papers reported that a highly toxic mixture was offloaded
in three separate locations in Abidjan overnight August 19th to 20th by
a ship chartered by a Dutch-registered company.
The minister of health and environment confirmed on Monday evening that
toxic waste had been dumped at several sites in Abidjan and that
measures were being taken to look after those taken ill.
"The government is continuing to search so that we can identify all the
sites where waste has been spilled," Remy Allah Kouadio said on state
television.
"Enquiries are ongoing, but I believe that what is important today is to
see how to ensure that people do not suffer too much from the
situation," the minister said.
Source: Agence France-Presse