Babies' pesticide deaths leave residents in fear of fumigation

Families in Ajman and Sharjah afraid to have their homes sprayed for pests after two infants were killed by poisons used in a neighbouring apartment.

The Bakari triplets, Suhail, Halla and Ali. Halla was the only survivor from the three.

SHARJAH // Residents of Ajman and Sharjah say they are still afraid to have their homes fumigated after two infants were killed by pesticides sprayed into a neighbouring apartment. Abdullah al Harb, 40, a Sudanese resident of Sharjah who works in marketing, said he was wary of bringing in fumigators even though he had a problem with cockroaches. He heard of the deaths while planning to call a pest controller, but has dropped the idea indefinitely.

"My wife tries to deal with the cockroaches manually," he said. "She will keep her small slipper close when she is in the kitchen and slaps any cockroach passing by." Two five-month-old boys, Suhail and Ali Bakari, died on March 27 after pest controllers sprayed their neighbour's home. Their triplet sister, Halla, survived after treatment at Sheikh Khalifa Hospital. The Ajman Public Prosecution completed its investigations into the deaths in mid-April. Ajman Police are holding two people, and the case is going to trial.

Tariq al Rashid, the public prosecution's director, said in a report to the court that the boys died because the pest control company used concentrated pesticides. Those who work in the pest control business say impatient customers and a lack of regulation can lead to problems. Mohammed Younis, who owns a pesticide company in Sharjah, believes authorities should exercise more control on companies in his field. He also said some customers demanded that fumigators use very strong chemicals that would kill insects in only a few minutes instead of a few days.

"Customers should be patient," he said. "Once a house has been sprayed for bedbugs, for example, a standard drug would kill the bedbugs within 10 days. After two weeks if the problem persists, all companies give a guarantee. Call them back." Mansour Mohammed, who heads the Al Saqr pest control company, said some companies use chemicals meant for fumigating warehouses in people's homes. "This problem requires regular inspections from authorities to ensure that people are using the right pesticides in the right place." The Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah has treated people suffering from breathing or skin problems after inhaling pesticides, said Dr Ali Shabir, the director of its accident and emergency department.

He also repeated the call for authorities to exercise more control over pest control companies. Such companies, he said, should know if someone with asthma or children live in the home, for example. The Ajman Municipality Public Health and Environment department has put in place stricter regulations for pest control companies in reaction to the infant deaths, said Khalid al Hosni, the head of the department. It requires that they submit the names and types of pesticides they use; that they carry a copy of their certificate of approval from the Ministry of Environment and Water; and that clients have a right to ask for this card to ensure that the operator is licensed.

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