The municipality of Deçan in western Kosovo has declared a state of emergency after more than 900 people were poisoned.
According to Radio Free Europe, the authorities suspect that contaminated water might be the cause. The National Institute of Public Health has taken water samples for chemical and biological analysis.
Since Sunday evening, the regional water supply “Hidrodrini” has cut off the water supply in areas suspected of mass poisoning, until the results of the analysis.
The Local Medicine Center in Deçan raised the alarm on Saturday as an unusual number of patients showed symptoms of poisoning.
Meanwhile, Peja Prosecutor’s office ordered that an autopsy be performed on two deaths to determine the cause, although Kosovo’s Health Minister Arben Vitia has declared they are unrelated to the poisoning.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani has called on the authorities to investigate whether this was a deliberate accident.
