Asian boy dies after inhaling pesticide

Sohaila Ahmed, Staff Reporter

The Sharjah Police General Directorate urges members of the society to take proper precautions when using insecticides to prevent the dangers of their misuse that may lead to death; therefore, they call for the importance of investigating all the certified and licensed pest-control companies in the Emirate.

Sharjah Police expressed their deepest grief for the death of the 10 - year-old Asian boy, which was caused by inhaling toxic pesticide used in a neighbouring apartment. The police offered condolences to the deceased’s family.

Furthermore, the Central Operations Room of Sharjah Police received a call from Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah on Friday, May 24, at 10:30 am, stating that a 10-year-old boy died from inhaling poisonous pesticide, meanwhile his twin sister, mother and father were suffering from suffocation due to inhalation of the same toxic substance inside their premises in the Emirate of Sharjah.

Lt. Col. Saeed Al-Shamsi, Director of Investigation Branch at Al-Buhaira Comprehensive Police Station stated that after the incident was reported, the Director of Al-Buhaira Comprehensive Police Station, Col. Ahmed Al Gharubati, along with experts from the criminal laboratory and a number specialists in the Municipality of Sharjah, have rushed to the hospital to find the family members in a stable condition after inhaling such a toxic substance.

Upon receipt of the communication, the director of Al- Buhaira Police Station Col. Ahmad Al-Gharobati, along with experts from the criminal laboratory, and a number of specialists in the Municipality of Sharjah, A high-risk insecticide, confirming the stability of the health status of family members after their visit to the hospital.

For his part, the Head of Sharjah Criminal Laboratory, Brigadier General Ahmed Haji Al Serkal, said that laboratory tests conducted on some of the samples collected from the used pesticides tablets found inside the apartment, revealed that it was (Aluminium phosphide) substance, that is prohibited to use in residential areas, and which produce the poisonous Phosphine gas.

He pointed out that they have found a number of tablets, distributed inside the neighbouring apartment, causing the death and poisoning of the family members due to spreading of the toxic gas via air conditioning units.

Brig. Gen. Al Serkal called upon all members of the society to take proper precautions when using pesticides of all kinds, and deal with the licensed companies of the Emirate. However, authorised pest-control companies can be found through the municipality’s website, or can be contacted on the (993) hotline of Sharjah Municipality.

Lastly, he pointed out that municipal posters were put up in places to warn against the use of unlicensed pesticides, which pose a danger to the health of individuals.

Recently, the Traffic and Patrols Department intensified efforts on the roads as part of the “Aman Ya Ramadan” campaign, which was launched by the Sharjah Police General Directorate at the beginning of Ramadan. The ramped-up efforts seek to ensure a smooth and safe flow of traffic for road users. This is in line with the objectives of Sharjah Police, as part of the Ministry of Interior’s strategic goal of making roads safer.

Lieutenant Colonel Abdulrahman Khater, Director of Sharjah Police Traffic Awareness and Media, emphasised the importance of increasing the awareness and knowledge of road users about traffic laws by distributing multilingual awareness leaflets. The leaflets include instructions which draw the attention of drivers on the required safety measures and the importance of being cautious while driving.

Moreover, the Sharjah Police called upon drivers to abide by traffic rules and not step out of line. They also aim to encourage the cooperation between police and members of the society by intensifying patrols and security surveillance on both internal and external roads, apart from allocating awareness-raising patrols in residential areas and markets to give proper guidance to motorists and pedestrians to maintain road safety.