‘Undetectable illness’: Jagersfontein man, 20, coughing up sludge particles

The Free State government said doctors in Bloemfontein recommended that one patient out of 243 assessed in the provincial capital should be admitted to hospital because he “showed signs of undetectable illness.” It is believed that he ingested contaminants with the sludge that flooded Jagersfontein early on Sunday, 11 September.

JAGERSFONTEIN SLUDGE TO BE TESTED

According to SABC News, the 20-year-old man is coughing up sludge particles. He will be moved from a temporary shelter in Bloemfontein to Jagersfontein Diamant Hospital.

The Departments of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) and Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DFFE) promised to sample and test the sludge to determine if there are any materials that could cause harm to human life, according to the Free State government.

The man is one of 243 Jagersfontein residents that were displaced by the disaster that followed a mine dam wall collapse. Besides, the 20-year-old, the other residents were found to be in good health after medical observation.

“However, the Doctors ordered their prescribed medicine as some are chronic medication users who lost all their medication in the disaster,” said the provincial government.

Immediately after the disaster on Sunday, 73 people were admitted to Diamant Hospital with minor injuries, seven were sent to Alfred Nzula Hospital in Trompsburg and one each was admitted to Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital and Medi Clinic Hospital in Bloemfontein.

The official death toll is one and a 50-year-old woman is still unaccounted for. A search and rescue mission is underway.

At least 164 houses were affected by the sludge. The government has identified four sites where it intends to build temporary structures. “We are waiting for sites to be cleaned up so that the technicians can be able to access the houses so that structural assessments of houses can be done.”

When he visited the town, President Ramaphosa promised residents the government would rebuild their houses and that the cause of the wall collapse would be investigated.

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