Fujeirah stops waste site after man’s death

Fujeirah’s authorities have stopped work at a major waste disposal site in Dinna Al Fujeirah to investigate whether toxic waste killed an Emirati man this week, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Alittihad said the authorities have started a probe on charges by local residents that the Municipality and a factory in the area are dumping toxic chemicals in the Makab (waste site) at Qarin area.

The paper said relatives of the dead man and two children who suffered from burns in a separate accident at the site are planning to sue the factory and the Fujeirah Municipality.

“We have stopped all activities at the Makab pending the completion of investigation into the those incidents,” the paper said, quoting colonel Abdullah Saghiri, Fujeirah police centres director.

Alittihad said those relatives are accusing the authorities and the unidentified factory of dumping toxic chemicals and other dangerous waste in the Makab in the absence of any sign boards to warn the public. It also quoted Dibba Municipality’s director Hassan Al Yamahi as saying the Makab contains dangerous waste but is located in a remote area which “is not easily accessible by the public.”

“We have not received any report about the injury of two children but people in that area know that thousands of materials are dumped into the Makab, including chemicals and toxic gas like Methane,” he said.

“We appeal for the ministry of environment and water to intervene urgently to tackle this problem and also call upon the residents to stay away from this Makab given its danger on their lives.”

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