CHEMICAL HORROR
Syria nerve gas attack left ‘500 people in Eastern Ghouta suffering symptoms of toxic chemical exposure’
FIVE HUNDRED people have showed symptoms of a chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, according to the World Health Organisation.
The charity condemned the suspected gas attack saying hundreds of victims visited health facilities with "signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals".
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"WHO demands immediate unhindered access to the area to provide care to those affected, to assess the health impacts, and to deliver a comprehensive public health response," said Peter Salama, WHO deputy director-general for emergency preparedness and response.
UN aid agencies do not have access to most of the enclave of eastern Ghouta where the alleged attack occurred. The Syrian government has denied responsibility.
More than 70 were reportedly killed following the suspected chlorine attack which the UK government has called "diabolical."
Theresa May and Donald Trump vowed to stop Syria using chemical weapons as the US President cleared the way for military strikes against Bashar Al-Assad.
What we know so far...
- A chemical attack, using "poisonous chlorine gas" unfolded in the besieged town of Douma on Saturday
- Dozens of people were reportedly killed, with those caught up in the sickening attack suffering "oral foaming, cyanosis, and corneal burns"
- The World Health Organisation has confirmed that 500 people showed symptoms of being exposed to "toxic chemicals"
- The UN slammed the reported use of chemical weapons, saying it would be an "abhorrent" violation of the law
- US President Donald Trump declared on Monday that a forceful response would be made within 24 to 48 hours
- US warplanes have been spotted on the border
- Theresa May has also vowed to end Syria's use of chemical weapons
- But Russia has said that they will respond immediately if its military in Syria is affected by any US air strikes
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The Prime Minister rang both the US President and France’s Emmanuel Macron in a frantic round of diplomacy over the suspected chemical attack in Douma.
The White House said Mrs May agreed with Mr Trump that the alleged attack showed Syrian President Assad’s “vicious disregard for human life”.
A statement added: “The President and Prime Minister agreed not to allow the use of chemical weapons to continue.”
Donald Trump and his Pentagon chief General Mattis both cancelled planned trips for the weekend to “oversee the American response to Syria”.
In the early hours of Tuesday, a heavy flight of US-led coalition warplanes were reportedly seen flying over the Iraqi border.
But Russia's Defence Committee have hit back, saying that they will respond immediately if its military is impacted by a possible US airstrike.
Vomiting and convulsions… the horrific effects of Sarin nerve gas
The agent attacks the nervous system and causes agonising and uncontrollable muscle contractions that make it impossible to breathe, causing death by asphyxiation.
In its purest form, sarin is estimated to be 26 times deadlier than cyanide.
Symptoms following exposure to sarin include a runny nose, tightness in the chest and constriction of the pupils.
Victims then continue to lose control of bodily functions and begin drooling, urinating, vomiting and defecating.
Muscle spasms then make breathing incredibly difficult before the victim becomes comatose and suffocates.
The man-made nerve agent, was originally made as an insecticide, in Germany in 1938.
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Donald Trump launches Tomahawk missiles at Al-Shayrat Air Base after Syria gas strike in 2017
Civilian planes were said to have been ordered to clear the airspace over Syria by the US military as flight radar showed aircraft diverting away.
European air traffic controllers issued a "rapid alert" for airlines in the Eastern Mediterranean over the possibility of air strikes into Syria within the next 72 hours.
The USS Donald Cook missile destroyer was sailing towards Syria as the White House weighed up its options. Turkish media reported “remarkable” activity at an RAF Tornado base in Cyprus.
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But sources accused Mrs May of trying to delay Donald Trump – as his deadline for a decision on strikes against the Assad regime edged closer.
A Downing Street spokesperson read out of the same phone call with US President but was markedly more guarded than the White House’s version of events – saying Assad’s guilt had yet to be “confirmed”.
No.10 added: “They agreed they would continue working closely together and with international partners to ensure that those responsible were held to account.”
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