Truth About Zane
  • Home
  • Updates
  • Petition
  • Book
  • JOIN THE DOTS
  • Contact us
  • Tributes
  • Hydrogen Cyanide
  • Carbon Monoxide
  • Q&A
  • Whistleblowers & The Law

EXCLUSIVE: 'Toxic flood fumes killed our boy. It must not happen to another'

6/2/2015

2 Comments

 
Picture
THE parents of a schoolboy killed by toxic fumes in last year's floods fear thousands of families across Britain could be at risk from contaminated water running into their homes.

Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss has promised to help Kye Gbangbola and Nicole Lawler find out how their seven-year-old son Zane died after water from a landfill site at a former gravel pit behind their home in Chertsey, Surrey, filled its basement during the flooding last February.

The minister has ordered urgent testing of a lake in the middle of the site for chemical toxins which could interact with water to produce hydrogen cyanide, a deadly gas found in the home after the incident.

However, the parents are campaigning for all landfill sites in flood risk areas to be tested for toxins to stop other families from suffering their anguish.

Landfill sites were unregulated after the Second World War, with no records kept of the large amounts of munitions and gas canisters buried in them.

It took a public outcry at drums of cyanide being dumped at an abandoned brick kiln in Nuneaton in 1971 to shine the spotlight on the problem of chemical waste being illegally buried at sites.

In response the Deposit of Poisonous Waste Act 1972 was drafted in 10 days and passed through Parliament within a month.

With flooding predicted to become a more regular occurrence due to wetter weather caused by climate change, Kye said: "There needs to be an urgent inquiry, not just into why Zane died but into the historical landfill sites in the UK and the consequences of them being flooded."

Zane was taken to hospital along with Nicole, 37, and Kye, 48, after being overcome by fumes during last year's floods.

The schoolboy died and his father was left a paraplegic.

An initial post-mortem examination on Zane's body found "no clear cause of death".

Traces of hydrogen cyanide, used in Nazi death camps in the Second World War, were found in the blood of all three members of the family.

Public health officials and the fire service also found evidence of hydrogen cyanide at the home and evacuated 15 neighbours, yet the family have spent nearly a year battling to be given a cause of death for Zane.

They have not been able to step foot back in their home, even to collect some of their only son's treasured belongings, and have been living out of hotels for the past 11 months.

After recently meeting the parents, Truss ordered immediate testing of the lake for chemical toxins which could react with water to release hydrogen cyanide gas.


In a letter she said: "As a parent I am extremely saddened to hear in our recent meeting more details about this tragic case.

"It is clear on the face of it a number of institutions have some important questions to answer and I was concerned to learn about the slow progress that has been made by a number of bodies in getting to the bottom of what happened."

Kye welcomed the minister's intervention, but wants the land surrounding the lake to also be tested for toxins, as he believes the contamination was caused by floodwater running through the landfill.

He said: "Liz Truss's letter was certainly a step in the right direction, but when we met with ministers we were clear, independent testing of the land needs to be carried out.

"The Government needs to ensure something like this never happens again.

"We have lost a son, yet thousands of other people could unknowingly be at risk. We would like Zane back, it's as simple as that, but we know that can't be done, which is why the campaign aims to make sure lessons are learnt and this does not happen to any other families."

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "This is a tragedy and our sincere sympathies are with the Gbangbola family. Along with other agencies we have worked with Surrey Police on its investigation and we now await the coroner's findings."

A spokesman for Surrey Police said the details of its lengthy investigation have been passed to the coroner, adding: "It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

Click here to watch the video of the parents speaking

2 Comments
https://tutuappx.com/ link
29/6/2024 03:45:53 pm

Spike is a baby dragon in the animated television series "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic."

Reply
Vidmate link
29/6/2024 03:46:23 pm

Twilight Sparkle is the personal student of Princess Celestia in the animated television series "My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic."

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Legal Aid Agency refuse
    3 times to grant family legal aid for inquest

    Picture
    MEDIA COVERAGE
    Picture
    Tweets by @TruthAboutZane

    TAZ

    Archives

    June 2025
    April 2025
    October 2024
    August 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    June 2023
    May 2023
    February 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    Hydrogen Cyanide
    TruthAboutZane
    Zane Gbangbola

    RSS Feed

Copyright © 2014 - 2025 Nicole Lawler. All Rights Reserved' on the site.