Fumigation at Romac’s goes wrong; store closed
Attention Belize City shoppers: if you were planning to pick up a few groceries at the Romac’s supermarket today, you might have noticed that the doors were inexplicably closed. It turns out that over the weekend, the store hired a fumigator to relieve their warehouse of unwanted tenants and something went very wrong. On Tuesday, several employees started showing signs of pesticide intoxication and required medical treatment. The public health bureau is now on the case and today Senior Public Health Inspector Gerald Williams gave News 5 the details.
Gerald Williams, Senior Public Health Inspector
“The thirteen cases that we investigated, they were not hospitalised, these thirteen cases, they showed mild severe symptoms. These were just treated at the Matron Robert’s Health Centre and were sent home.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Can you elaborate on some of the symptoms they had?”
Gerald Williams
“Speaking with the medical officer on duty, symptoms like abdominal cramp, pain, difficult breathing, blurred vision. Diazenon is classed as one of the organo-phosphates and it is highly toxic of course, and that can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion and of course absorption, through your skin.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Were they trying to rid the place of rodents why they used that? What is it primarily used for?”
Gerald Williams
“Diazenon is used as I said as any insecticide, to control pests such as roaches, fleas and so forth. It was used because there was also a concern with roaches.”
According to Williams, Romac’s should remain closed for the next four days in order to allow all traces of the insecticide to clear out. Romac’s management declined an on camera interview, but via a press release, admits several members of staff reported being sick. Romac’s says the company usually sprays the store, but hired a new exterminator to do the job last week. Despite the recommendation of Inspector Williams, the store will be open for business on Saturday at eight-thirty in the morning.
