All silent on “insecticide’ causing deaths of Canadian sisters

PHUKET: A spokesperson at the forensic laboratory at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok today declined to confirm or deny reports that insecticide containing DEET had been identified as the cause of death of Audrey and Noemi Belanger.

The sisters, Audrey, age 20, and Noemi, 25, from Quebec, Canada, were found dead in their hotel room on Phi Phi Island on June 15. Police initially suspected food poisoning.

The spokesperson at the forensic laboratory at Ramathibodi Hospital, which conducted the autopsies on the bodies of the two women, today confirmed that she had heard of the reports identifying DEET as the possible poison that killed the two women.

However, she declined to comment, citing a request from the Belanger family to not publicly reveal any details of the case.

“I am aware that insecticide was named as the cause, but we have been asked by the Canadian embassy to not to reveal any details regarding the Belanger sisters in order to respect the privacy of the family,” she said.

“I can confirm that the autopsy results have been reported to the embassy and the family,” she added.

However, case investigator Lt Col Jongrak of Krabi City Police confirmed to the Gazette, “The case is not yet closed. We are continuing our investigation. I have been in touch with the Canadian embassy, and we have yet to question the doctor who performed the autopsies.

“We expect to conclude our investigation by the end of the month. At that time I will be able to reveal more details,” he said.

— Chutharat Plerin