Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Disinfectants in Water Tanks Caused Nile Delta Mass Poisoning: Prosecution 
Ahram Online
Monday 27 Apr 2015

On Friday, hundreds of residents of Al-Ibrahimiya village in Sharqiya governorate flocked to hospitals suffering from apparent water poisoning

The mass poisoning in Egypt's Sharqiya governorate is due to the fall of disinfectants in drinking water tanks, initial investigations by the prosecution revealed on Monday, Aswat Masriya reported.

The head of Al-Ibrahimiya prosecution, Amir Sweillam, requested the remaining reports concerning water samples.

Hundreds of residents of Al-Ibrahimiya village in Sharqiya governorate flocked to hospitals suffering from apparent poisoning as a result of contaminated water last Friday.

On Sunday, out of 761 possible water poisoning cases, eight patients were still being treated, while the others had been discharged from hospitals after recovering, a health ministry official said.

The general prosecution had decided earlier to take samples from drinking water and food scraps from the homes of infected people.

On Saturday, a 51-year old man, suffering from the same symptoms, died in the hospital.

Authorities are currently investigating the outbreak and questioning the local public water company, which has stressed that their water is safe to drink.

Reports of water poisoning are not uncommon in Egypt.

In October 2014, around 100 people were poisoned in a similar incident in Sharqiya. Some blamed the illnesses on the drinking water, but officials at the time said the water was clean.

The poisoning cases come a few days after a barge carrying 500 tons of phosphate capsized in the Nile in Upper Egypt’s Qena governorate after colliding with the foundations of the city's Dandara Bridge.

Egypt’s water and irrigation minister denied Friday that the sicknesses in Sharqiya were connected with the sinking of the barge.

Health Minister Hossam Moghazi stated that the Nile River passes seven cities between Qena and Sharqiya and none of these cities had reported any cases of water poisoning.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/128781.aspx


8 still being treated, 752 discharged from hospital in Egypt’s mass poisoning

Ahram Online
Sunday 26 Apr 2015

On Friday, hundreds of residents of Al-Ibrahimiya village in Sharqiya governorate flocked to hospitals suffering from apparent poisoning from water

Out of 761 possible water poisoning cases in Egypt’s Sharqiya governorate, eight patients are still being treated, while the others have been discharged from hospitals after recovering, a health ministry official said on Sunday.

The remaining patients are expected to be released from the hospital within the next hours, Health Ministry Undersecretary Sheriff Makin told State News agency MENA.

On Friday, hundreds of residents of Al-Ibrahimiya village in Sharqiya governorate, Nile Delta, flocked to hospitals suffering from apparent poisoning from contaminated water.

On Saturday, a 51-year old man, suffering from the same symptoms, died in the hospital.

Authorities are currently investigating the outbreak, and questioning the local public water company, which has stressed that their water is safe to drink.

Several locals told Ahram on Friday that they believe the symptoms were caused by drinking tap water, with some of them saying the water had smelled strange before the incident broke out.

Reports of water poisoning are not uncommon in Egypt.

In October 2014, around 100 people were poisoned in a similar incident in Sharqiya. Some blamed the illnesses on the drinking water, but officials at the time said the water was clean.

The poisoning cases come a few days after a barge carrying 500 tons of phosphate capsized in the Nile in Upper Egypt’s Qena governorate after colliding with the foundations of the city's Dandara Bridge.

Egypt’s water and irrigation minister denied Friday that the sickness in Sharqiya was connected with the sinking of the barge.

Health Minister Hossam Moghazi stated that the Nile River passes seven cities between Qena and Sharqiya and none of these cities had reported any cases of water poisoning.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/128717.aspx


No connection between Egypt's Nile phosphate accident and poisoning cases: Minister

Ahram Online
Saturday 25 Apr 2015

Hundreds of poisoning cases appeared shortly after a barge carrying phosphate capsized in the Nile; ministry says cases unconnected

Egypt's minister of water and irrigation has denied any connection between cases of poisoning in the Nile Delta city of Sharqiya and the sinking of a barge in the Nile carrying phosphate.

Hossam Moghazi said samples taken from the main lake that feeds the water supply to Sharqiya governorate proved potable with no contaminants.

On Tuesday, a barge carrying 500 tons of phosphate capsised in Upper Egypt’s Qena, sparking fears among Egyptians over contamination of their primary source of drinking water.

On Friday, some 379 people in Sharqiya were hospitalised showing symptoms of poisoning, with polluted water becoming the main suspected cause.

Commenting on the incident Friday, Moghazi said the Nile passes seven cities between Qena and Sharqiya, the website of state television reported.

None of the seven cities witnessed complaints of poisoning, he said.

Any contamination would take 12 days to pass from Upper Egypt to the Nile Delta, while in this case only three days had passed, setting the two incidents apart, Moghazi added.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Adel Adawy said his ministry is taking samples from the Nile every 12 hours and is on high alert for emergencies.

Egypt is heavily dependent on the Nile River, from which it gets 55 billion cubic metres of water annually.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/128586.aspx

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