THAILAND’S Department of Disease Control has identified exposure to insecticide as the likely cause of death of five tourists and a Thai tour guide who stayed at the Downtown Inn Hotel in Chiang Mai.
The department’s five-month investigation covered the six deaths, as well as illness in three other individuals in Chiang Mai between January 11 and February 19.
Investigators concluded that the cause of death was likely exposure to chemicals commonly found in pesticides, based on blood and biological test results. Another indicator was the proximity of the rooms the guests were staying in.
An independent probe by New Zealand’s 60 Minutes revealed earlier that rooms at the Downtown Inn were being sprayed with a potentially lethal toxin called pyrophus – which is banned from indoor use in many countries.
Local police initially dismissed the deaths as food poisoning cases. Most of the victims had similar symptoms, including inflammation of the heart, believed to have been caused by food or water contamination.
Thai health authorities said a panel would be established to introduce stricter measures for the use of chemicals – including pesticides – in hotels and public areas.
