'Shihabieh water free from contamination'

AMMAN — The Water Authority of Jordan (WAJ) on Saturday confirmed that the water in the Shihabieh area in Karak is clean and in conformity with Jordanian specifications for drinking water.

WAJ Secretary General Tawfiq Habashneh said several cases of diarrhoea were reported at Karak Public Hospital but it was found that these cases were not related to the drinking water but were due to other causes.

WAJ and Ministry of Health laboratories tested the water on Friday and reported that it was free from any contamination, he said.

According to Karak hospital director Ali Hamaideh, 20 patients were admitted to hospital suffering from poisoning, of whom 16 were discharged while four children were kept under supervision.

Karak Health Department Director Zakarya Naweiseh said the patients had eaten “expired” food which led to their poisoning, adding that lab tests will be conducted to verify the cause.