Military Plane Crash: Traditional ruler cries out as decaying bodies ‘pollute’ community’s source of drinking water
A traditional ruler is raising the alarm about a crisis unfolding in his community after a military plane crashed into the river his people depend on for drinking water. The bodies of those killed in the crash are still in the water, and he says the decomposition is already affecting the river that feeds the community's only water treatment facility, located about seven kilometres away in Aboto.
The ruler is clear about the danger: whether it is the decaying bodies or the oil that spilled from the aircraft, the contamination has entered the water supply. The treatment machine at Aboto draws directly from this same river, meaning whatever is in the water upstream eventually reaches the taps, on the days water flows at all.
And that last part is its own problem. The community does not receive treated water every day to begin with, so when supply is interrupted or compromised, there is very little to fall back on. With no alternative source named and no response detailed in his statement, the question of who steps in to protect this community's health remains wide open.
Originally published by Premium Times.