Chief medical inspector counters CBC's Belanger sisters death report

[webfact]

Chief medical inspector counters CBC's Belanger sisters death report
Phuket Gazette


Canadian sisters Noemi and Audrey Belanger were found dead on Phi Phi Island in 2012. Photo: Facebook

PHUKET: -- The chief medical inspector called in to investigate the mysterious deaths of Canadian sisters Noemi and Audrey Belanger on Phi Phi Island in 2012 has dismissed reports that said the sisters died from poisoning from a specific pesticide.

The news follows a report by Canadian news network CBC quoting Dr Pasakorn Akarasewi as saying, “The most likely explanation is the acute intoxication and it is intoxication from the chemical that belongs to the pesticide group [story here].” CBC proceeded with an in-depth report about a single pesticide, aluminum phosphide, being the possible cause. Aluminum phosphide is used to control bedbugs in some hotels.

Yet Dr Pasakorn, Director of the Bureau of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control, told the Phuket Gazette in an exclusive interview that he did not affirm the cause of death and did not believe aluminum phosphide was a factor.

“All I said to the media was that the most likely explanation was acute intoxication from a chemical belonging to the pesticide group. We do not know exactly which one.

“DEET was the only chemical we could find in the two sisters’ bodies, according to the autopsy report,” he said. “But the bodies were sent to Canada a long time ago and we have not been able to further investigate the case.

“I have no idea how aluminum phosphide came up in the CBC report. To my knowledge it came from the Canadian side, as they have been talking about it. According to our report, there was no such chemical found in the women’s bodies,” Dr Pasakorn explained.

The Belanger sisters were found dead in their room at the Phi Phi Palms Residence on June 15, 2012, covered in vomit, with similar signs of trauma on their bodies and blue fingernails and toenails (story here).

Initial autopsies conducted by forensic police in Thailand identified undisclosed amounts of DEET in the women’s systems. Those results were refuted by Quebec coroners, who then conducted secondary autopsies (story here).

“I was not here when the case happened, but I am aware of it,” said Col Phrutthipong Nutchanart, who took up the post of Krabi City Police Superintendent little over a month ago.

“There was the initial theory the women drank a cocktail spiked with DEET, then the theory the women were poisoned by some pesticide in their hotel room, but we do not know how the chemical got into their bodies,” Col Phrutthipong said.

“I have spoken with the case investigators and forensic police, and the general consensus is that the women suffered a severe allergic reaction to some chemical, exposure to which might be tolerated by other people.”

Col Phrutthipong pointed out that the case was closed before his arrival (story here) and said that any further comment about the case must be from the Belanger family or the Canadian Embassy.

“We do not know what exactly killed the sisters. The cause of death in the police report to the embassy remains listed as ‘unknown’,” he stated.

“This has left us with very little to move forward on. We cannot stage a special campaign or crackdown on chemicals used in Krabi when we do not know exactly which chemical killed the sisters or how they came to ingest it,” he added.

Weerapong Dollar, chief of the Disease Control Department at the Krabi Public Health Office, concurred.

“When we were notified about the deaths, we went to the hotel room with police and forensic police to inspect the scene and the bodies, but we found no traces of chemicals at above-normal levels that could have caused death,” said Dr Weerapong.

“As we do not know what killed the Belanger sisters, all we can do is continue with our regular health campaign.”

— Irfarn Jumdukor

Source: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Chief-medical-inspector-counters-CBCs-Belanger-sisters/29002


-- Phuket Gazette 2014-03-31

[alfalfa19]

Thanks for your perfectly predictable response. This part is especially brilliant:

“I have spoken with the case investigators and forensic police, and the general consensus is that the women suffered a severe allergic reaction to some chemical, exposure to which might be tolerated by other people.”

OIC, both sisters had identical and fatal results when exposed to a chemical which other people would have been able to tolerate. Yewbetcha.

[smileydude]

Forensics and toxicology can answer a lot of things but not everything.

I hope their family receives closure somehow and that this be a lesson to young people seeking fun during the these Full Moon parties that there is often a thin line between thrills and death.

[silent]

Slightly more unbelievable report aired in Canada this month about a highly toxic pesticide banned for use in hotels, (even here in Thailand but still manages to get used according to a fumigator) that somehow may have been the cause of death), more than a deet laced drink. Sorry about the advertisements.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/TV+Shows/The+National/ID/2441757957/

[Valentine]

More face saving exercises.

[Krataiboy]

"We cannot stage a special campaign or crackdown on chemicals used in Krabi when we do not know exactly which chemical killed the sisters or how they came to ingest it." Thailand Chief Medical Inspector.

Cannot, or will not?

The Chief Medical Inspector does know that the Canadian coroner said there was insufficient DEET in the women's bodies to have caused their death from drinking an injudicious cocktail (always blame the farang first!), as the Thais were postulating. Which means something else killed them. If it wasn't aluminium phosphide, as apparently claimed in the CBC documentary (which, unfortunately, I have been unable to track down - can anybody suggest a source?) then what did cause this tragedy.

Have Thai investigators of the incident checked the hotel concerned and established what chemical compounds, if any, were routinely used to control infestation - and whether aluminium phosphide one of them? If not, the investigation needs to reopened and widened to include this possibility.

To shrug off any further measures to prevent a future re-occurence of this appalling event is typical of the arrogance of Thai public servants who seem to think their decision making is beyond scrutiny or reproach.

One is reminded of a similar dismissive and apathetic attitude following recent revelations that much of the food one buys in Thai markets is contaminated with formaldehyde. What new measures, one wonders, are being taken this much more serious potential health hazard than sprays used in hotel bedrooms. We all have to eat.

These are the kind of vital issues every bit as much worth marching for as those currently exercising the minds and feet of Kuhn Suthep and his PDRC supporters.

Reform IS needed in Thailand, not just in terms of the corrupt political system but in areas such as the administration of public health where a dangerous complacency appears to be the norm. It is no use the Thai authorities bleating about a fall in tourism when not only tourists but entire population is being cynically put at risk.

[SOTIRIOS]

.......what is to 'further investigate'....you joker....???

....you performed an autopsy.....gave your <removed> conclusions how many weeks later......

....God forbid any of these slew of mysterious deaths affect Thailand in any way.....or anyone take responsibility.....

....rent a hotel room......die.....buy a drink at a bar.....die....go swimming or snorkelling....die....take a bus or minivan....or boat ride....die....

...but nobody is ever to blame....except for the victims....

....and the facts....???

...not welcome....