Monday 01 September
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
ECLA Proposes
Measures Against Impact From Food Price
Hikes
Colombia Crisis Brews,
Uribe Stews
Colombia Alerts Public
Over Probable
Contamination Of River
Venezuela Rejects Visit
Of U.S. Anti-Drug Chief
Venezuela Energizes
South Bank Initiative
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Colombia Alerts Public
Over Probable
Contamination Of River
BOGOTA - Colombian
government on Sunday
alerted residents in the
country's four northern
provinces not to drink
water or eat fish from
the Magdalena river,
where at least 116 cans
of cyanide sank after a
ferry accident.
Luz Amanda Pulido,
director of the
Attention and Disasters
Prevention Bureau, told
the press that although
the cans were sealed, it
is still possible the
cyanide could spill out.
At least seven trucks
sank in the river in the
accident that took place
near the city of Gamarra
in the northeastern
province of El Cesar
early Saturday morning.
As there were cyanide
and other fuels on one
of the sunken trucks,
all the river's
aqueducts were ordered
to be closed.
Environment expert Oscar
Encenares said that the
situation is "alarming"
because the river water
could tear open the cans
since they are made of
material less endurable
than plastic.
The water is flowing
towards the riverside,
the shallow water zone,
which bears the river's
lives. If the water is
polluted, it could kill
the fishes, said
Encenares.
He warned the country's
authorities to take
action against the
possible contamination.
Divers from the
Colombian army have been
dispatched to test
whether the water has
been poisoned and to
determine the location
of the pollution, said a
government spokesman.
Magdalena is the
principal river of
Colombia, which crosses
at least seven provinces
from north to south and
is their major source of
water supply.
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