What on earth happened... 'Bonghwa Boknal Pesticide' Incident, Additional Victims Also Show Chemical Traces

Pesticide Components Detected in Container from National Forensic Service Analysis Report

The police investigating the 'dog days pesticide (insecticide) poisoning incident' that occurred in Bonghwa, Gyeongbuk, confirmed the presence of insecticide components in a specific container within the village senior center.

According to Yonhap News on the 19th, the police reported that insecticide components were detected in a specific container inside the senior center, which had been sent to the National Forensic Service for analysis. The police are currently identifying the nature of the liquid that was contained in this vessel.

The Forensic Team of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency is conducting an investigation on the 17th at the Naeseong 4-ri Senior Citizens' Center in Bonghwa-eup, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The police also secured witness statements indicating that “4 out of the 5 victims shared coffee at the senior center on the day of the incident, while the remaining one did not drink coffee together at that time.” The dedicated investigation team has been focusing their efforts on the coffee consumed by the victims after their meal, considering it the most crucial clue to unraveling the case.

It was reported that the police searched the home of one of the victims the previous day and obtained CCTV footage from a recycling station near the house, which they are currently analyzing. They are concentrating their investigative resources on determining whether the cause of the incident was due to a grudge or some other reason.

Quiet atmosphere at Naeseong 4-ri Community Center

On the afternoon of the previous day, an 80-year-old villager, Mr. A, exhibited symptoms similar to those of the elderly who had collapsed earlier, such as difficulty breathing, and was transported to the hospital. Subsequently, insecticide components were also confirmed in Mr. A’s gastric lavage fluid. This brings the total number of victims in this incident to five so far.

All of them had eaten at the same restaurant on the first dog day (Chobok) on the 15th and were later together at the senior center. Witnesses at the time testified that most of the elderly who collapsed had been drinking coffee at the senior center. Analysis of the gastric lavage fluids of four victims revealed the presence of two components, Etofenprox and Terbufos, both of which are found in insecticides. The additional victim, Mr. A, is understood to have dined at the same restaurant and also visited the senior center.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.