A Game and Fauna Service officer was rushed to hospital on Friday morning after inhaling toxic fumes from a powerful disinfectant in the Larnaca district.
The warden was helping set up foot-and-mouth disease prevention measures in the Klaudia area when the incident occurred. Officers had been instructed to pour disinfectant into pits designed to spray the tyres of passing vehicles to stop the virus from spreading.
The employee inhaled the chemical while working under circumstances currently being investigated. Witnesses told ANT1 the man began foaming at the mouth, causing immediate alarm among his colleagues. An ambulance took him to the general hospital for emergency treatment, where he remained under observation until his release late Friday night.
The incident sparked a backlash from game wardens who say the authorities failed to prepare them for the task. Sources told philenews that officers were asked to use a new disinfectant for the first time without any prior training or information regarding its risks or contraindications.
Workers say they lack the necessary personal protective equipment, such as masks and specialised suits, to handle such hazardous chemicals.
“This is not our job; we are not trained for this,” Game and Fauna Service sources said, calling for an immediate end to their involvement at the disinfection points.