The Sunday News
Sunday News Correspondent
NINE people have now reportedly died from diarrhea linked to contamination of water pumped by the Bulawayo City Council in Bulawayo, an official has said.
Ward 15 Councilor, Councillor Febbie Msipha on Thursday said those who died included eight children and one elderly woman.
Cllr Msipha said the Bulawayo City Council is yet get to the root cause of the deaths but urged residents to practice safe hygiene and desist from fetching water from unprotected sources.
A diarrhea outbreak that started almost a month ago turned deadly last week.
Council has responded by temporarily suspended water shedding in Luveve suburb pending the outcome of the investigations.
The local authority has conducted tests on the water in the area to determine the exact nature of the illness.
Bulawayo City Council Health Services director Dr Edwin Sibanda said following complaints from residents they had collected water samples from the area and swabs from residents that had diarrhoea and sent them to the laboratory for testing and were awaiting the results.
The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has also initiated its own investigations into the quality of the city’s water.
