Chemical analysis of a water bottle that a jogger had left on a park bench while running last week has discovered fatal amounts of horse tranquilizer in the liquid.
The analysis was conducted following an incident last week when Bangkok resident, Wirot Silabaht, had gone for an evening run at Makut Rommayaran Park in Nonthaburi.
He left his water bottle on a park bench while he jogged around the park. Returning approximately half an hour later, he drank from the bottle but noticed the water tasted strange.
Upon closer inspection, Mr. Silabaht discovered a small piercing in the bottle near the cap and immediately suspected something was wrong.
A visit to a local hospital confirmed his suspicions. The doctor informed him that he had most likely consumed a poisonous substance following a series of scans and tests.
Now, an examination of the water inside the bottle carried out at Kasetsart University has revealed that there were high levels of Xylazine, a horse tranquilizer, contaminating the water.
Xylazine is generally used in minimal doses to sedate animals such as horses, cats, and buffaloes. However, the levels of contamination in Mr. Silabaht’s bottle were strong enough to kill him, according to the professor who carried out the tests, Prof Weerachai Phutdhawong.
Prof Phutdhawong also mentioned that Xylazine is usually only available for veterinarians, but has also been sold on the black market as a date rape drug.
Police have warned joggers to exercise caution when leaving water bottles unattended while running in parks.
Source: Coconuts
