There is an outbreak of an unknown sickness in the oil filed in Paluch in Eastern Nile State, and Tharjath in Southern Liech State due to pollution, says the Minister of Petroleum.

Minister Dak Duok Bishok says a committee formed to assess the situation has compiled a report on the situation in the areas.

It is not clear what the signs and symptoms of the disease are.

“…..samples like blood have been taken from Paluch and sent to the big central Lab in America , so that we can know what’s the sickness there is these places, what’s kind of sickness because people are suffering there as a result of oil field secretions,” Mr. Bishok said.

This year, an assessment by a Germany firm indicated that dangerous heavy metals used in the oil production in the oil fields had spilled into water sources in the area.

The Institute for Functional Medicine and Environmental Health says these water sources are being used by some180, 000 people.

The report also mentioned that people who drink from the wells end up vomiting and contracting diarrhea, especially children in the states of Northern Liech, Southern Liech and Ruweng.