NINE patients have been admitted to the intensive care unit and 166 to the normal ward after breathing in toxic fumes from the chemical dump in Pasir Gudang’s Sg Kim Kim.

Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said no fatalities have been reported, but 506 cases of people falling ill, including a ministry official, have been recorded.

“The public is advised to avoid the area because the chemical reaction of the substance in the river is influenced by factors such as temperature, especially in the afternoon, and the movement of air,” he said at a joint press conference with Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian and Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin in Pasir Gudang.

He advised people to wear masks, wash clothes worn near the affected area separately and obtain information from authorised sources.

The effects of the illegally dumped chemicals can be felt within a 5km radius, he said.

The ministry has urged those who experience nausea, headache, tightness of chest and breathing difficulties to seek medical attention.

It has deployed mobile clinics in Taman Mawar and Taman Pasir Putih in the Pasir Gudang area.

Earlier today, Yeo said one of three men suspected to have dumped chemical waste into Sg Kim Kim may be charged as soon as tomorrow.

She said the completed investigation papers have been sent to the deputy public prosecutor for evaluation and consideration. – March 13, 2019.