Toxic waste death toll rises
2006-09-15 10:00
Abidjan - The death toll from toxic waste dumped around Ivory Coast's commercial capital has climbed to seven, say officials as residents flood medical clinics and demand answers from the authorities.
The health ministry said a seventh person had died of poisoning almost a month after the 500-plus tons of waste were dumped on 14 open-air rubbish tips around the city.
Another 10 000 fearful residents had sought medical consultations in the past 24 hours believing they were suffering symptoms from the noxious waste, up from nearly 16 000 on Wednesday.
Health ministry spokesperson Simeon N'Da said: "We have had in total more than 26 000 consultations. Among these persons we have 23 hospitalisations and seven deaths."
Whole cabinet steps down
Prime Minister Konan Banny, presiding over a skeletal government after his cabinet stepped down over the scandal last week, said on Thursday evening that a clean-up operation would begin on Sunday and would be led by French firm Seche.
Banny said: "Today, an agreement was reached with the firm, Tredi, part of the Seche group, which has solid references" in waste treatment and storage.
"From Sunday, this company will start the removal of the toxic waste and the clean-up of the sites".
Banny also announced precautionary measures to protect the toxic waste entering the food chain, as well as the firing of a number of top officials including Adidjan's head of customs, the director of the city's port and the governor of Abidjan district.
President Laurent Gbagbo said those who dumped the waste were known and would "pay for their crime".
'No one will be hit who's not guilty'
He said: "Trials and arrests are under way. The agencies and men responsible for dumping the toxic waste are practically all known inside and outside Ivory Coast.
"Judicial authorities are working to find those guilty so they can be brought to trial and pay for their crime", vowing that "no one will be hit who's not guilty".
On Tuesday, the United Nations voiced fears that toxins from the waste - much of which it said was tipped into the sea, into a lagoon and onto dumps near market gardening areas - might already have spread to the food chain.
The health ministry spokesperson noted that the crisis had created an atmosphere of "fear" in the city, evidenced by the overwhelming numbers of people seeking treatment at medical clinics.
Residents and community leaders said there was a lack of information coming out of the government and people naturally feared the worst.
One district community leader, Fernand Yao, said: "The government must inform the population in all the local languages because people here have a lot of questions and often imagine the worst."