Kenyan officials are urgently appealing for assistance in locating containers of sodium cyanide that were looted from an overturned lorry near Nairobi. Sodium cyanide is a highly toxic chemical that can be fatal if swallowed or inhaled even in small quantities. Health officials have warned that it also poses a significant environmental risk.
The incident occurred late on Saturday on the busy Nairobi-Nakuru highway, about 35 km (22 miles) from Nairobi. Following the accident, several containers were taken by individuals who rushed to the scene. It is not uncommon in Kenya for trucks to be looted after road accidents.
Authorities have urged the public to avoid the accident site and to report any sightings of the containers to the nearest police station. The national environmental agency has cautioned the public against coming into contact with the chemical, which is in the form of white pellets.
Kenya’s health ministry emphasized that sodium cyanide should only be handled by individuals wearing protective gear. The chemical can contaminate soil and groundwater, with the potential to persist in the environment and accumulate in the food chain.
Commercial uses of sodium cyanide include fumigation, extracting gold and silver from ores, and chemical manufacturing, according to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
Local media reports indicate that while some individuals took containers of the chemical, others left empty-handed upon realizing the substance’s hazardous nature. The cause of the lorry’s overturning remains unclear, and the authorities have not provided details about the driver’s condition.
