Skopje authorities investigate false water contamination reports

Skopje water safety E. coli misinformation North Macedonia digital forensics public health panic

Authorities in Skopje are investigating the spread of false information claiming that the city's drinking water is contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has summoned 13 individuals for questioning after they shared or posted unverified claims on social media. These individuals stated they were acting on hearsay or existing social media posts without confirmed sources.

Skopje Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski condemned the misinformation, describing the organized spread of panic as a terrorist act. To demonstrate the water's safety, the Mayor drank a glass of tap water during a press conference. The Skopje Water and Sewerage company confirmed through laboratory testing that the water meets all safety standards and contains no harmful bacteria.

Medical experts, including toxicologist Dr. Andon Çibishev, noted that a real E. coli outbreak would have resulted in tens of thousands of patients and a collapse of the healthcare system, which has not occurred. The Infectious Diseases Clinic also reported no patients related to water contamination. Law enforcement continues to analyze digital data to identify the originators of the misinformation.

Entities

Andon Çibishev · City of Skopje · Food and Veterinary Agency · JP Vodovod i Kanalizacija Skopje · JP Vodovod i Kanalizacija – Skopje · Ministry of Internal Affairs · Orce Gjorgjievski · Rashce Spring · Rashçe · SDSM · Skopje · Skopje Water and Sewerage

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 6 SOURCES] Skopje Mayor Orce Gjorgjievski described the organized spread of misinformation regarding water safety as a terrorist attack. tocka.com.mk · nezavisen.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · skopjeinfo.mk · vocentar.com · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The 13 individuals questioned stated they shared the information after seeing similar posts on social media or hearing it from others. expres.mk · lider.mk · skopje1.mk · a1on.mk · plusinfo.mk · +1 more
[○ 1 SOURCE] The SDSM political party is demanding nationwide water quality testing in North Macedonia. sdsm.org.mk
[● 9 SOURCES] The Ministry of Internal Affairs summoned 13 individuals for questioning regarding the spread of false information about water contamination in Skopje. expres.mk · lider.mk · skopje1.mk · a1on.mk · nezavisen.mk · +4 more
[● 8 SOURCES] Laboratory tests conducted by the Skopje Water and Sewerage company confirmed that the drinking water is safe and contains no E. coli. skopje1.mk · tocka.com.mk · novamakedonija.com.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk · +3 more
[○ 1 SOURCE] The Skopje Water and Sewerage company reported two individuals to the police for spreading false information and causing panic. tocka.com.mk
[● 2 SOURCES] Toxicologist Dr. Andon Çibishev stated that if E. coli contamination were present, it would have resulted in over 50,000 patients within one or two days. www.infoshqip.com · skopjeinfo.mk
[● 6 SOURCES] The Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating the origin and digital spread of the misinformation to identify those responsible. expres.mk · lider.mk · skopje1.mk · a1on.mk · plusinfo.mk · +1 more
[○ 1 SOURCE] Fadil Cana, Director of the Infectious Diseases Clinic, confirmed there are no registered or hospitalized patients related to water contamination. skopje1.mk