Girl dies in Delft after chemical intake

Imogen Vollenhoven
23 April 2013

A young child died and seven children were hospitalised this is after they consumed chemical substances, which were dumped on a field in Delft. 

Fire and Rescue Spokesperson Theo Layne said the chemicals that were dumped contented include sodium chlorate, sodium nitrate and sodium phosphate. 

Layne explains that they responded to a call from Silversands corner of Symphony way where they discovered a quantity of hazardous material that was illegally dumped on an open field.

Layne explains that the law enforcement officials were also taken to the hospital are all in a satisfactory condition.

The origin of the chemicals are still unknown at this stage and it has been handed over to the SAPS for further investigation and the incident has been cleared.

Meanwhile the African Christian Democratic Part today said it has for a long time called for the City of Cape Town to take a stronger stance on illegal dumping. 

ACDP said the City is indirectly responsible for the reckless behaviour of businesses and community members continuing due to not tightening the by laws on illegal dumping and a lack of policing of illegal dumping. 

ACDP’s Demetrius Dudley said that the City needs to get down to the bottom of this and there need to be stricter by-laws in place, there needs to be signs in place, people need to be encouraged to report vehicles that are dumping with number plates and company names so that the City can come down heavily on the perpetrators and hold them to book.

Dudley added that he hopes that the law, that once the company that dumped the chemicals here in the City of Cape Town has been identified that the law will come down heavily and that somebody will be held accountable for that little girl’s life.