Norwegian Woman And American Woman Die Of Unknown Causes on Koh Phi Phi

phuketrex · May 7, 2009

...and still not a report about this in the PhuketGazette! yet the instant a tourist falls off a motorbike and gets squashed under a truck and dies they report it.
This is a response from Ryan Kells, Jills' fiance, to the poorly written Phuketwan article>>>

"I was Jills fiancee. For a doctor to say that she was drinking was ridiculous. Jill had been Ill since the afternoon. How could she have told nurse anything. She was unconcious by the time I got her to the hospital. This article makes me irate. There is a water treatment plant right next to the guesthouse. How coincidental for 3 people to have the same symptoms, 2 die and 1 in ICU. We stayed right next door to the Norwegian girls. There is a chemical that killed two girls and almost one more. I cant even begin to believe that this doctor would lie about jills case. Let me repeat. Jill had no alcohol that night. It had nothing to do with a hangover. I can not believe that anyone would make up such a lie."

So, despite the previous assertions that the Norwegian girls rented the same room immediately after, it seems that is not necessarily true?

Correct. Ryan says the Norwegian girls were there at the same time and in the room next to them.

sriracha john · May 7, 2009

Thank you for trying and please let us know if any are given in the future. With this topic now expanded to covering 5 unexplained deaths and 1 near-death, it could go a long way in helping everyone to sort out who's who.

5?

Jill St. Onge

Julie Bergheim

The man found in the sea at the weekend

The middleaged Norwegian a month ago

Who is the 5th?

All the 6 involved are mentioned in Post # 72.

jts-khorat · May 7, 2009

Maybe its about time to have the name of this guest house ??
And I hope the owner and staff there are cooperating with the police to find the cause of this tragedy.

Name of the guesthouse is Laleena Guesthouse, according to Ryan (fiancee of one of the deceased). So far it seems a coincidence that they all stayed there, but according to police they also ate at the same food/drinks, so careful with being too hasty with conclusions.

Source here: http://phi-phi.com/phiphi-forum/article.php?f=4&t=7317

CFIT · May 7, 2009

...and still not a report about this in the PhuketGazette! yet the instant a tourist falls off a motorbike and gets squashed under a truck and dies they report it.
This is a response from Ryan Kells, Jills' fiance, to the poorly written Phuketwan article>>>

"I was Jills fiancee. For a doctor to say that she was drinking was ridiculous. Jill had been Ill since the afternoon. How could she have told nurse anything. She was unconcious by the time I got her to the hospital. This article makes me irate. There is a water treatment plant right next to the guesthouse. How coincidental for 3 people to have the same symptoms, 2 die and 1 in ICU. We stayed right next door to the Norwegian girls. There is a chemical that killed two girls and almost one more. I cant even begin to believe that this doctor would lie about jills case. Let me repeat. Jill had no alcohol that night. It had nothing to do with a hangover. I can not believe that anyone would make up such a lie."

I guess the Phuket Gazette is busy finding out the true facts before putting out a story. When it involves grieving families, tourism and suspicious circumstances it would be irresponsible to rush a story like this as above.

Facts are two women, unrelated but staying in the same location are dead and one has cyanide residue in her stomach. A third person , a man- may have died in the same circumstances a few weeks ago . And there is an un- identified male found dead 6 days ago.

all worthy of reporting.

(So where does 5 or 6 deaths come in? )

phuketrex · May 7, 2009

In the list of 6 he appears to have included the Norwegian girl twice.

More from Jills' fiance Ryan>>>

my name is Ryan, I was Jill's fiancee. We were staying at a guesthouse called laleena. I have to think that Jill died of a poison substance. We got our room about 11 in the morning. It was our first room with A/C in about a month of traveling through Asia. So we decided to just hang out in the room all day and catch up on some needed sleep. I am not a great sleeper, Jill on the other hand was awesome she could sleep anytime, anywhere. Aroun 1 o clock I was antsy so I went to go use the internet. I was gone about an hour. I went back to the room hung out with Jill for about an hour. We were both hungry so I decided I would go get us some food, so we could enjoy the A/C. I was gone about 45 minutes. I came beack we ate our food and hung out for another hour or 2. We then decided to go out walking around. Jill started saying she wasnt feeling that well (probably the burger) but being the trooper she was, we stayed out for a few hours. Ate some dinner , watched the sunset. Around midnight Jill said she was still feeling ill. She wanted to go lie down, but told me to stay out for a bit, cause we were hanging out with some new friends. I went back to the room at about 2 am, to find jill in some real pain. She started vomiting not too long after. I layed down in bed with her to try to comfort her. Probably 2 hours later, I started feelin very ill. I started vomiting. feeling dizzy. This is when I realized Jill was not doing well at all. She started turning blue. I ran outside grabbed a utility cart, briught it back, picked Jill up and put her in it. I ran all the way to the hospital. They started doing CPR to no avail.

I found out later that there is a water treatment plant right behind the guesthouse. I feel that jill was poisoned by a chemical from that plant. She spent about 5 more hours in the room than I did. She was just breathing in the fumes for so long. The only reason I did not get deathly ill, is that I kept getting these short breaks from the air in the room.

The next day, a woman from Norway died right in the room next door, her traveling companion was admitted to the ICU. All thrree of them had the exact same symptoms. That seems like a hel_l of a coincidence. I just want people to know to be careful of the Laleena guesthouse. Whatever is there it killed 2 people and put one in intensive care, in 2 days. That doesnt sound like food poisoning, and I doubt two A/C units started pumping in gas on the same day. There has to be something in the air from that water treatment plant..

Edited May 7, 2009 by phuketrex

CFIT · May 7, 2009

A review of the people involved. If our Norwegian members can confirm about #2's name and that #4 and #5 have been unnamed.
1. The Norwegian woman, of the OP that died, is Julie Michelle Bergheim.

2. The Norwegian woman, that was Julie's companion and got ill but survived, identified as "Venninnen"?

3. The American woman, that died at the same guesthouse, is Jill Sheree St. Onge.

4. There was another Norwegian woman, at the same guesthouse that died in April, is unnamed. Her autopsy is not ready.

5. There was a 46 year-old Norwegian man, that died also in April, is unnamed.

6. There is an unidentified nationality man, that died this month, and found in the waters of Phi Phi and is the subject of the separate thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Dead-Foreign...-I-t262091.html

That makes 5 unexplained deaths and 1 nearly died in Phi Phi, all in the very recent past.

I think your # 4 is incorrect, just a Norwegian man in April

So, 3 deaths, possibly 4th related death in the bodyfound in the water May 1.

geriatrickid · May 7, 2009

The poison works very quickly. It causes internal suffocation with a characteristic blue colour of the skin, according to Wikipedia.

Well I certainly hope the pathologist doesn't rely on wikipedia, because my pathology textbook states that the skin colour should have a cherry red or robust pink hue. This is due to the inability of oxygen to leave the blood and enter the cells.

I think that any conclusion of cyanide being in someone's stomach is way to quick since there are several substances that will break down upon ingestion and give off byproducts that can indicate the presence of cyanide. You can't make a definitive statement of cyanide poisoning under suspicious circumstances until there is confirmation of lactic acidosis (basically the result of the oxygen deprivation as the aerobic metabolism slows or stops).

I have a hunch that the experts are going to start with the obvious trio;

1. Tainted water or food

2. Was someone was working with chemicals in close proximity to the bungalow.

3. Did someone recently spray the location with a pesticide?

Edit: I missed the fiance's posting and note his concern about the water treatment facility. His gut feeling may be valid and it would help if more details were available. Potable water or waste water?

Edited May 7, 2009 by geriatrickid

CFIT · May 7, 2009

The poison works very quickly. It causes internal suffocation with a characteristic blue colour of the skin, according to Wikipedia.

Well I certainly hope the pathologist doesn't rely on wikipedia, because my pathology textbook states that the skin colour should have a cherry red or robust pink hue. This is due to the inability of oxygen to leave the blood and enter the cells.

I think that any conclusion of cyanide being in someone's stomach is way to quick since there are several substances that will break down upon ingestion and give off byproducts that can indicate the presence of cyanide. You can't make a definitive statement of cyanide poisoning under suspicious circumstances until there is confirmation of lactic acidosis (basically the result of the oxygen deprivation as the aerobic metabolism slows or stops).

I have a hunch that the experts are going to start with the obvious trio;

1. Tainted water or food

2. Was someone was working with chemicals in close proximity to the bungalow.

3. Did someone recently spray the location with a pesticide?

Edit: I posted at the same time as the fiance's posting and note his concern about the water treatment facility. it would help if more details were available. Potable water or waste water?

Yes there is contradictory info on cyanide poisoning symptoms, perhaps having to do with ingestion methods .

Mr Kells seems to believe it is realted to the water treatment plant next door and thet would certianly be a strong possibilty

I'm wondering if the by product of a " prank " dose of Visine is this compound that appears to be cyanide. As low body temp and dehydration are symptoms of that, although I guess would be in any kinfd of acute poisoning

And it's not just women who are falling ill , one man dead in April, and another taken ill and there is the still as of yet, un- ID 'd body in the water .

What A MYSTERY !!

jts-khorat · May 7, 2009

In the list of 6 he appears to have included the Norwegian girl twice.
More from Jills' fiance Ryan>>>

I found out later that there is a water treatment plant right behind the guesthouse. I feel that jill was poisoned by a chemical from that plant. She spent about 5 more hours in the room than I did. She was just breathing in the fumes for so long. The only reason I did not get deathly ill, is that I kept getting these short breaks from the air in the room.

I can understand why relatives of the victims are speculating on reasons for their death; but it is nothing but speculation until we know better (and this might take a good time).

With the new knowledge we have, at least the source of the poison can be determined better: poisoned food, poisoned water or poisoned smoke that was inhaled. However, cyanide inhalation from smoke would mean that something like rubber was burned -- and that creates a stench that would have been more than noticeable and nothing in any of the accounts points to such a thing occurring at the time. This points still to indigestion as most likely reason.

This might be the reason why police is still concentrating on the fact that both people who died seem to have either eaten at the same place or drunk the same stuff. I cannot really understand why the fiancee seems to rule this out completely.

CFIT · May 7, 2009

PhuketWan backpedaling on Cyanide statement

http://phuketwan.com/tourism/phi-phi-death...ed-women-11078/

<h1 class="title">Phi Phi Deaths: No Word on What Killed Women</h1> By Shanya Phattrasaya

Thursday, May 7, 2009 THE MYSTERIOUS deaths of two tourists on Phi Phi led to several processes of investigation and widening ripples of interest around the world today.

The bodies of Norwegian Julie Michelle Bergheim, 22, from Drammen, and American Jill Sheree St. Onge, 27, from Seattle, are now in Bangkok where autopsies are to be conducted at Sirirath Hospital.

However, police told Phuketwan today that results from the tests could take up to a month.

continued at Phuketwan

sriracha john · May 7, 2009

West Seattle Woman Mysteriously Dies In Thailand

SEATTLE -- A 27-year-old West Seattle woman mysteriously died over the weekend in Thailand.

Jill St. Onge and her fiancé Ryan Kells were on vacation traveling through Southeast Asia.

According to the couple’s blog, ......................, they had been staying in a bungalow on the island of Koh Phi Phi for six days when they decided to move into an air-conditioned room.

St. Onge had stayed in the room while Kells made several trips in and out of the room, according to the blog. Kells said St. Onge wasn’t feeling well and said she was going to lay down in their room. Kells stayed out with friends.

When he returned to the room two hours later, Kells said St. Onge was vomiting and very ill. Kells said he also was feeling sick.

Kells said he then ran outside, found a cart and put St. Onge in it, running to the hospital.

"I ran with her as far as I could, as fast as I could. When it looked like she was going," Kells said, “I tried so hard I don’t know what else I could have done."

Doctors performed CPR on St. Onge, but couldn’t revive her.

"I feel she was chemically poisoned by some sort of gas in the air," Kells said.

At the same time in a room next door, two Norwegian tourists were also becoming ill. A 22-year-old died and her friend is still hospitalized.

A Norwegian newspaper reported Wednesday that the 22-year-old had cyanide in her system, causing her death.

St. Onge’s brother posted a message on the Internet and her friends are doing interviews, hoping Thai officials will investigate.

Kells is a Seattle glass artist and St. Onge worked at the Shadowland Bar in West Seattle.

"I don’t think it’s going to set in until Ryan comes home and she doesn’t come home," said friend Sean Welch.

A paper in Thailand is also reporting two more mysterious deaths on Koh Phi Phi island in the last several weeks.

- KIRO-TV News (Seattle, Washington, USA) / 2009-05-06

========================================================================

MODS:

As this thread is now covering, as a minimum, the confirmed American woman's death, please consider retitling thread.

Suggested:

Norwegian Woman And American Woman Die Of Unknown Causes on Koh Phi Phi

Edited May 7, 2009 by LivinginKata
Blog URL removed from news article

Samuian · May 7, 2009

now cyanide - extremely mysterious!

heard it from the grapevine that there is a custom to "fish" with arsenic....

but cyanide from the a/c...?

faranginbkk · May 7, 2009

now cyanide - extremely mysterious!
heard it from the grapevine that there is a custom to "fish" with arsenic....

but cyanide from the a/c...?

Not correct. Arsenic acts much too slowly to catch fish. Cyanide is used for illegal fishing around coral reefs, yes.

Soupdragon · May 7, 2009

now cyanide - extremely mysterious!
heard it from the grapevine that there is a custom to "fish" with arsenic....

but cyanide from the a/c...?

Not correct. Arsenic acts much too slowly to catch fish. Cyanide is used for illegal fishing around coral reefs, yes.

There was a reported case of dynamite and cyanide fishing at the world famous dive site of Hin Duaeng years ago. Those responsible were quickly caught and dealt with very severly. As far as I know there hasn't been a single reported case since certainly not on the coral reefs around Phi Phi island.

LivinginKata · May 7, 2009

-- Phuket Gazette 2009-05-07

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Mystery illness kills foreign tourists on Phi Phi

KRABI: Two foreign tourists have mysteriously died and two others are seriously ill from unknown causes after holidaying on Phi Phi Island.

Much speculation surrounds the circumstances of the deaths as authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the matter.

Press Attache at the US Embassy in Bangkok Michael Turner told the Gazette that US citizen Jill St. Onge, 26, died on May 2, shortly after being taken to hospital by her boyfriend Ryan Kells, who also fell ill.

Both tourists were vomiting severely before Miss St. Onge's admission to hospital.

Her family have set up a blog website to publicize the story. Writing on that site, Mr Kells said he suspected the air conditioning in their hotel room was responsible for making them ill and believes he survived because he had spent less time in the room than Miss St. Onge.

"... I kept getting these breaks from the air in the room, while Jill kept staying in bed. She was exposed to the air in the room for probably five or six more hours than I was," he wrote.

The following day, the same room was rented out to two Norwegian women, both of whom developed the same symptoms.

The Norwegian Ambassador to Thailand, Merete Brattested, confirmed that Julie Michelle Bergheim, 22, died on May 4 in Bangkok Hospital Phuket.

Her friend is recovering at Bangkok Phuket Hospital. However, hospital staff refused to give out any information apart from confirming that a seriously ill Norwegian female had been admitted but she would not receive visitors or speak to anyone.

Phi Phi Island Hospital Director Dr Buncha Khakong said that the cause of both deaths is being investigated by the Department of Disease Control in Bangkok.

"I guessed something they consumed caused them to die but I cannot say clearly until we receive the lab results," he said.

A police inquiry is now under way. The bodies of both of the deceased are understood to have been sent to Bangkok for autopsy.

Meanwhile, the popular Thaivisa.com community forum is active with posters speculating over the cause of the deaths. Poisoned drinks, faulty air conditioning, carbon monoxide and chemicals from a water treatment plant near the guesthouse have all been mentioned as possible causes.

Kamol Pirat and Gazette reporters

sriracha john · May 7, 2009

Seattle woman mysteriously dies in Thailand

SEATTLE - A memorial of tulips and candles surrounds a black-and-white photo of Jill St. Onge that sits on the bar counter of Shadowland in West Seattle.

But it's two postcards, signed "Jill and Ryan," that tell the story of her life, and death.

"They planned this trip for a year," said friend Whitney Filsinger of St. Onge’s three-month excursion across Southeast Asia with longtime boyfriend Ryan Kells.

St. Onge blogged all throughout the vacation, typing thoughts and posting pictures of sandy beaches and ancient monuments for friends back home. The happiest moment, they say, came halfway through the trip, when Kells proposed in Bali, and she accepted.

But a few weeks later, Jill St. Onge was dead, at 27.

"[Ryan’s] devastated,” said friend Shannon Felix. “I think it's going to be a long time before he can recover from this."

"When you know someone that's that vibrant and that bright, to hear that they're gone like that just doesn't make any sense," Filsinger added.

But so far, what isn't clear is why she died, and that’s where St. Onge’s family is demanding answers from the Thai government.

In a newly created blog about the investigation, Kells writes he and Jill were staying in a bungalow in Thailand at the time, a week from coming home. He says St. Onge started feeling ill, then he did too.

“After that we met some friends, but the whole time Jill was saying her stomach wasn't feeling that great,” wrote Kells. “So around maybe midnight she said she was going to go lie down. But I should stay out a bit. So I did, I went back to the room around 2 a.m., Jill was looking real bad, vomiting, I laid down with her to try to make her feel better still thinking it was the burger that was making her feel bad.”

Despite officials initially saying it was food poisoning, Kells said, Kells believed there was something toxic in the air.

Then the local Thai newspaper, the Andaman Times, reported a Norwegian tourist dying within hours of Jill in the same bungalow. Norwegian news outlet Nettavisen reports traces of cyanide found in that woman and suggests a nearby water treatment plant as the cause.

"I think that if that mystery wasn't there, it would be much easier for us to comprehend," said Felix.

An autopsy is reported scheduled for Thursday in Bangkok, but for now, the death has sparked far more questions than answers into the death of a woman friends described as an up-and-coming artist, favorite bartender, and loving teacher.

"We really feel like we've lost a member of the family,” said Felis. She was artistic and bubbly, I never saw her have a bad day."

- KING-TV News (Seattle, USA) / 2009-05-06

====================================================

KING-TV News video news link:

May 7th, 2009 - Family and friends of a Seattle woman who died in Thailand are demanding answers.

http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=359156

====================================================

Thanks Mods for the thread retitling.

Edited May 7, 2009 by sriracha john

sriracha john · May 7, 2009

Mystery surrounds Seattle woman's death in Thailand

SEATTLE -- Friends and family members are searching for answers behind the mysterious death of a local woman in Thailand.

Jill St. Onge, 27, of West Seattle died while traveling in Thailand's Phi Phi Islands.

Family members said Onge fell very ill very quickly over the weekend, and boyfriend Ryan Kell didn't even have a chance to get her to a hospital before she died.

The two were wrapping up a three-month tour of Asia at a bungalow on the island. They were getting ready to bring home big news -- the two had gotten engaged during the trip.

Then something sinister struck.

According to Thai media, St. Onge may not be the only victim of the mysterious sudden death. A Thai headline read "Poisoning suspected after two tourists die."

The report stated in addition to St. Onge, a 22-year-old Norwegian tourist had died the same weekend at the same bungalow.

A Norweigan newspaper reported that traces of cyanide had been found in the Norwegian woman's stomach, and her surviving travel companion remained ill.

"It all seems very suspicious," said St. Onge's best friend Brooke Freede, who received the news on Sunday.

Back in the Northwest, bloggers are speculating about the mystery brewing more than 7,000 miles away. St. Onge was a well-known member of the community as an artist and an employee of the Shadowland Restaurant.

"She was just so much a part of our lives. Its impossible to think what its going to be like without her," said Freede.

Wrangling for answers in an uncooperative foreign land, Kell and St. Onge's family members are determined to get momentum behind the story of her death. Thailand authorities won't allow Kell bring St. Onge's body home.

"No one knows what happened," said brother Robert St. Onge.

St. Onge's brothers and parents who live in California are exhausted with heartbreak.

"We're doing really bad right now because tonight's the night she's getting cremated," said Robert St. Onge on Wednesday. "So it's killing everyone that we can't be there, and it's really bad. It's the worst thing any of us have gone through."

Family members have not made any funeral arrangements yet. They aren't even sure when their loved one's ashes will arrive. Kell is seeking help from the U.S. Embassy in Thailand.

An autopsy was performed overseas and results are expected in several months. The St. Onge family requested blood and tissue samples in order to conduct an independent analysis.

- KOMO-TV News (Seattle, USA) / 2009-05-06

Edited May 7, 2009 by sriracha john

MisterMan · May 7, 2009

I wonder how many Thai's have suddenly died recently on Phi Phi, in that area? If it is from the fish or water treatment plant then the foreigners can't be the only one's affected.

Very sad post from the fiance saying she didn't drink and upset with the police saying that. . I guess living here we just come to expect the lack of any scientific police work.. and any conclusions, and anyone facing any real consequences...

We forget what is normal.

THanks for posting pictures of the girls...giving faces to the names.

And I really hope it is true that Dr Pornthip will be involved.

____________

From Phuket Wan (while Gazette is collecting the facts Phuket Wan is getting the more news)

<h1 class="title"> Dead Tourist 'Pushed off Phi Phi': Boyfriend</h1> By Alan Morison

Thursday, May 7, 2009 CONFLICTING accounts surfaced today about what happened in the final hours before two women tourists died on the holiday island of Phi Phi over the weekend.

American Ryan Kells said he was bundled off the island in a speed boat with the body of his fiancee after her sudden death.

He spoke to Phuketwan by telephone from Bangkok a couple of hours before the body of his girlfriend, Jill Sheree St Onge, 27, was due to be cremated.

continued at Phuketwan.com

______________________

The police are probably related to the guest house owner and the speed boat driver and..............

What a horrible experience but not surprising for us living here no doubt.

Let the tourism on Phi Phi suffer. Maybe something will change.

Edited May 7, 2009 by sbk
change to defaul font/color for readability ubonjoe

sriracha john · May 7, 2009

Thanks for posting pictures of the girls...giving faces to the names.

mai pen rai, MisterMan... it's only humanizing, which I feel is important.

Meanwhile...

===================================================

Cassava-poisoning could explain the death of Norwegian

The Thai authorities now suspect cassava, a very common vegetable in the Asian kitchen, to be the killer of the two tourists on Phi Phi.

The plant has previously caused the death of Philippine children. Cassava can produce the poisonous Prussic acid when not cooked properly – to have caused the death of the 22 year-old Norwegian girl Julie Michelle Bergheim and the 27 year-old Jill St. Onge from USA, who recently died after massive pains in their stomachs at the same hotel on the Phi Phi Island in Thailand.

The police have now confirmed that there has been found cyanide – a by-product of Prussic acid in the stomachs of both women. That has led to the theory of the Cassava-poisoning.

Due to investigation, bars and restaurants on the island have been examined, and the hotel where the women stayed is temporary closed.

Cassava is infamous for its deadly acid. In 2006, 25 Philippine children died after eating snacks made of the plant.

- ScandAsia / 2009-05-07

Edited May 7, 2009 by sriracha john

MrNils · May 7, 2009

PHI PHI (Nettavisen): Nettavisen has visited "Laleena Guest House", a guest house where Julie Michelle Bergheim (22) and her friend (20) lived.

The small guest house is located about ten minutes walk from the beach and has nine rooms - four with air conditioning and five with the fan. The guest house, which has simple standard, run by Ruth Hoikeo (27). She has run the place since the tsunami, then 2004. Now it is closed indefinitely.

- I am quite desperate after having experienced two deaths on the same day. I feel that the suspicions directed against me and my guest house, "says Hoikeo to Nettavisen Wednesday afternoon. She shows Nettavisen the room the girls lived in - and tells what happened Sunday 3. May:

- It was clear that I had a suspicion that something was wrong. Finally, we broke into the room, and where we were met by a lot of vomiting and very exhausting girls, "she says. She contacted a few friends, who had taken the girls to the hospital on Phi Phi.

- I remember the girls as very pleasant, "says Hoikeo. Now she hopes police find the cause of the tragic events.

Norwegian Julie Michelle Bergheim (22) died on Phi Phi to the hospital Monday night. The deceased was transported to Bangkok Tuesday afternoon to autopsied. The travel companion (20) is still in hospital in Phuket, but on the improvement path. Police on Phi Phi has stated to BBC that it is found cyanide in the stomach to Bergheim.

Tuesday, it was known that an American woman, Jill St. Onge (27), and her fiancé Ryan Kells lived in the same hostel as Norway. Hoikeo says that the Americans and Norwegians lived side by side in the rooms five and four. St. Onge was acutely ill and were transported to hospitals on Phi Phi, where she later died Sunday morning. Kells wrote in a blog Tuesday that he had suspected that St. Onge died of air in the room. Kells was also sick, but had a much milder disease than St. Onge. This he justifies with the St. Onge stay in space for five-six hours more than him. Therefore he does not exclude that St. Onge was poisoned by the air in the room, he wrote in a blog Tuesday. St. Onge had the same symptoms as the Norwegian girls - that is, vomiting, stomach pain and dehydration.

Cause of death for women is still unclear, and the final autopsy report is available only six to seven weeks.

Full story with pictures on Nettavisen . no (Norwegian)

Thaiblue · May 7, 2009

Some wildly speculative and off-topic posts have been deleted from this thread.

Some wildly speculative and off-topic posts have been left in this thread.

why does every death bring out the amateur detectives with their own opinions of what may have happened?

aircon, food, bad drugs, jellyfish.....what next?

Thai at Heart · May 7, 2009

There can be a lot of noxious/poisonous gases produced in waste water treatment plants, but one would have to be in very close proximity and probably in an enclosed space for them to be fatal.

Hydrogen cyanide can be produced from the process, but it would kill a lot more than just one or two people. It would be pretty odorless, but could be detectable in high enough concentration by most people.

Does anyone know how close the apartment/rooms could be to the treatment plant? What type of treatment is it? Waste or drinking?

If it was from the treatment, they need to shut it down right away, because the people running it obviously don't have a clue.

Edited May 7, 2009 by Thai at Heart

Duangta · May 7, 2009

Facts about cyanide

* Cyanides are produced by certain bacteria, fungi, and algae, and may be found in plants and some foods, such as lima beans and almonds.

* Cyanide occurs naturally in cassava roots, potato-like tubers grown in tropical countries.

* Cyanide can enter surface water through releases from metal finishing industries, iron and steel mills, runoff from disposal of cyanide wastes in landfills, pesticides, and the use of cyanide-containing road salts.

* Most cyanide in surface water will form hydrogen cyanide and evaporate. It is not found commonly in drinking water at any significant concentration.

* Cyanide is a rapidly acting, potentially deadly chemical that can exist in various forms.

* Cyanide can be a colorless gas, such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN) or cyanogen chloride (CNCl), or a crystal form such as sodium cyanide (NaCN) or potassium cyanide (KCN).

* Cyanide sometimes is described as having a “bitter almond” smell, but it does not always give off an odor, and not everyone can detect this odor.

* Cyanide is also known by the military designations AC (for hydrogen cyanide) and CK (for cyanogen chloride).

How to be exposed to cyanide

* You could be exposed to cyanide by breathing air, drinking water, eating food, or touching soil that contains cyanide.

* Cyanide enters water, soil, or air as a result of both natural processes and industrial activities. In air, cyanide is present mainly as gaseous hydrogen cyanide.

* Smoking cigarettes is probably one of the major sources of cyanide exposure for people who do not work in cyanide-related industries.

People exposed to a small amount of cyanide by breathing it, absorbing it through their skin, or eating foods that contain it may have some or all of the following symptoms within minutes:

* Rapid breathing

* Restlessness

* Dizziness

* Weakness

* Headache

* Nausea and vomiting

* Rapid heart rate

Sources:

http://www.nettavisen.no/utenriks/article2619616.ece

http://emergency.cdc.gov/agent/cyanide/basics/facts.asp

sriracha john · May 7, 2009

Cassava-poisoning could explain the death of Norwegian

The Thai authorities now suspect cassava, a very common vegetable in the Asian kitchen, to be the killer of the two tourists on Phi Phi.

The plant has previously caused the death of Philippine children. Cassava can produce the poisonous Prussic acid when not cooked properly – to have caused the death of the 22 year-old Norwegian girl Julie Michelle Bergheim and the 27 year-old Jill St. Onge from USA, who recently died after massive pains in their stomachs at the same hotel on the Phi Phi Island in Thailand.

The police have now confirmed that there has been found cyanide – a by-product of Prussic acid in the stomachs of both women. That has led to the theory of the Cassava-poisoning.

Cassava is infamous for its deadly acid. In 2006, 25 Philippine children died after eating snacks made of the plant.

- ScandAsia / 2009-05-07

In rustic town of Bohol three days ago, 25 pupils of San Jose Elementary School died of food poisoning after eating sweetened cassava during their recess period. Consequently, the school officials also reported that "most of their 476 pupils succumbed to stomach ache" on that fateful Wednesday afternoon.

Continues:

http://emeritus.blogspot.com/2005/03/cassava-poisoning.html

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RESEARCHERS GET TO THE ROOT OF CASSAVA’S CYANIDE-PRODUCING ABILITIES

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Cassava is the third-most important food source in tropical countries, but it has one major problem: The roots and leaves of poorly processed cassava plants contain a substance that, when eaten, can trigger the production of cyanide.

That’s a serious problem for the 500 million people who rely on cassava as their main source of calories, among them subsistence farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa, said Richard Sayre, a professor of plant biology at Ohio State University. He and his colleague Dimuth Siritunga, a post-doctoral researcher in plant biology at the university, have created cyanogen-free cassava plants. A cyanogen is a substance that induces cyanide production.

Continues:

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/cassava.htm

balo · May 7, 2009

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Norwegian Woman And American Woman Die Of Unknown Causes on Koh Phi Phi

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