Forensic police have issued a warning about the dangers of mixing sulfuric acid and caustic soda to unclog pipes, following a tragic incident in Chon Buri where three people died in a small family toilet.
On Tuesday, Pol Lt Gen Trairong Phiwpan, commissioner of the Police Forensic Science Office, highlighted the risk after a policewoman and her two daughters were found dead in their home in Muang district, Chon Buri province, on Monday.
According to Pol Lt Gen Trairong, the family used an unlicensed sulfuric acid product to clear a clogged toilet pipe. When mixed with caustic soda, this can create dangerous fumes known as sewer gas. The small size of the toilet—measuring 1.20 meters wide, 2.50 meters long, and 2.05 meters high—meant that it had only one ventilation hole. The inward-opening door exacerbated the problem, trapping the hazardous gases inside and making rescue efforts difficult.
Police discovered Pol Capt Ananya Busayakul, 60, and her daughters Jitpisut, 34, and Pannika, 25, unconscious in the toilet. Their mouths were filled with saliva, and their fingertips and lips had turned dark green. One of the victims was already deceased when found, and the other two were pronounced dead later at Chon Buri Hospital.
Pol Col Wiphawadee Kasemworaphum of the Police Forensic Science Office explained that exposure to sewer gas at concentrations exceeding 500 parts per million can lead to suffocation and death due to lack of oxygen.
Forensic investigators are continuing to examine the exact cause of this tragic incident.
