Pill Bottles Wash Up Along Eastern Cape Coast

Thousands of sealed prescription pill bottles have continued to wash ashore along Eastern Cape beaches from Port Alfred to Cannon Rocks, after cargo containers were reportedly lost at sea during storms. Many of the bottles contain Diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve pain and Glipizide, an oral medication used to control blood sugar, prompting concern about both health and enviromental risks among local authoritiesEmergency teams, municipalities and the South African Maritime Safety Authority are leading clean-ups as the debris drifts toward the Garden Route. Residents have been urged not to open or ingest any pills and to hand in recovered bottles at designated safe-disposal points.