Two pupils die, 32 hospitalised after taking drug at party

TWO people died and 32 others were hospitalised after taking an unidentified drug at a school break-up day celebration in KwaMashu‚ north of Durban.

KwaZulu-Natal social development department spokesperson Ncumisa Ndelu said 15 social workers were expected to visit the affected families on Wednesday.

"At this stage‚ details are sketchy. We believe that the two people were aged 19 and 29. We do not know any details about the party. Socials workers will be able to ascertain this information during the home visits‚" she said.

Ndelu said the drug has not yet been identified.

"We have been getting conflicting reports‚" she said.

However‚ there has been speculation that the school pupils may have consumed a drug commonly known as "data”.

Social development MEC Weziwe Thusi called on parents to keep a closer eye on their children.

"I am shocked by this tragedy‚ especially because we are constantly warning about the dangers of substance abuse in our public engagements‚ radio interviews and‚ I have it on good authority‚ that our social workers often take our substance abuse awareness programmes into local schools‚” said Thusi.

“The local drug action committee in KwaMashu is fully functional and it has its monthly meeting today. I would like to see our communities working with this committee to fight this scourge."

"I wish to call on parents to take note of strange behaviours in their children and seek help before it is too late. I would also like to caution young people against drug induced fun‚ it leads to tragedy as we have witnessed in this case‚" she added.