SA city told 'not to panic' over rotten-egg smell

The authorities in the South African city of Johannesburg have told residents not to panic about a foul smell that has been permeating some areas over the past few days.

The pong, likened to that of rotten eggs, has been investigated and a report submitted, tweeted Johannesburg councillor Michael Sun, who also represents the local Environment and Infrastructure Services Department (EISD) on the mayor’s committee.

"The smell was wide-spread across the city which thankfully excludes the possibility of a localised source in Johannesburg,” South Africa's The Citizen news site quotes him as saying.

“At this stage I urge the people of Johannesburg not to panic. It was concluded by EISD investigators that the city is potentially dealing with a cross-boundary pollution source," the quote continued.

Mr Sun also said the bad smell was probably a "fleeting" event based on weather conditions and "that the quality of air in Johannesburg remains at acceptable levels".

People online have been complaining extensively about the smell, calling it "ugly", "awful" and "strange".

This article originally appeared on BBC News

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