Four dead in St Lucia – Is this another ‘Jack Iron’ situation?

The Ministry of Health in St Lucia confirmed on Wednesday that it is investigating four cases of “unusual deaths” in the Coolie Town area of Marigot, possibly linked to the ingestion of a poisonous substance.

Four adults – one female

and three males, ranging in age from 32 and 55 years old, are dead, after presenting with symptoms which first appeared to be alcohol intoxication, followed within a few hours or days by eye symptoms, including sudden blindness and rapid deterioration within a short space of time.

“They come in walking; then in a short space of time become unconscious,” a Ministry official said.

A health team, comprised of doctors, nurses and environmental health officers, is now in Coolie Town, working with the police to thoroughly investigate what is happening, the official said.

It has been rumoured that an alcohol like substance may have been consumed, but the Ministry said it could not definitely say what caused the deaths.

“…the clinical science seems to suggest that it may have been a compound that may have been ingested that looks and smells like alcohol that may have been ingested on its own, or may have been mixed with alcohol,” the official said.

The Ministry advised the public to be wary of what they consume.

The official also asked residents in the Coolie Town area who may know of any unusual occurence that happened in the community to come forward and share the information with them, so that they can ensure that the substance is still not out there, futher putting persons as risk.

Residents of Coolie Town have reportedly been flooding the emergency room at the Victoria Hospital, expressing concern that they may have been exposed.

“We want to assure persons that so far, it does not look like an infectious agent. So, we are not suspecting an infectious disease that can be spread from one to the other,” the official said, adding that the information thus far points to “some kind of toxin or poisonous substance that persons may have been exposed to, more than likely, through drinking or food.”

Members of the public were advised to ensure that whatever they drink or eat comes from a reputable source.

A resident of the area said “the rum” was sold at a football match over the weekend.

“They say people get small within hours. They went blind, they start shrinking, then by day three, they just died.”

Other area residents said it is suspected that the substance ingested may have been a cleaning solvent, stolen from a business place, with the burglar(s) believing it to be rum. They say the substance smelled like alcohol and was bottled and sold for $10 a bottle.

The St Lucia situation is reminiscent of the ‘Jack Iron’ tragedy which befell St Vincent in November 1969 when 19 people died and hundreds more fell ill after drinking aviation fuel which came ashore in drums from a shipwreck at Sandy Bay. (See more next week in Midweek SEARCHLIGHT)