Japan police probe 48 suspicious deaths after poisoning of two elderly patients
Police in Japan are investigating the suspicious deaths of 48 elderly patients at the same hospital after autopsies on two of them revealed they had been poisoned by intravenous drips laced with a chemical found in disinfectant.
The murder investigation initially focused on two men who died within days of each other in the middle of last month. Both had been poisoned, and a tiny hole was found in an IV drip administered to one of them.
The investigation has widened to include 46 other people who have died since the beginning of July, all of whom were being treated on the same floor of Oguchi hospital in Yokohama as the two murdered men, according to Kyodo.
Last week staff found puncture marks in 10 of about 50 unused drip bags stored near the nurses’ station on the same floor.
Police have yet to publicly identify a suspect or establish a motive but on Monday, Kyodo quoted unnamed sources close to the investigation saying that the two recent deaths were likely to have been caused by someone with medical expertise who was connected with the hospital.
Police in Japan are investigating the suspicious deaths of 48 elderly patients at the same hospital after autopsies on two of them revealed they had been poisoned by intravenous drips laced with a chemical found in disinfectant.
The murder investigation initially focused on two men who died within days of each other in the middle of last month. Both had been poisoned, and a tiny hole was found in an IV drip administered to one of them.
The investigation has widened to include 46 other people who have died since the beginning of July, all of whom were being treated on the same floor of Oguchi hospital in Yokohama as the two murdered men, according to Kyodo.
Last week staff found puncture marks in 10 of about 50 unused drip bags stored near the nurses’ station on the same floor.
Police have yet to publicly identify a suspect or establish a motive but on Monday, Kyodo quoted unnamed sources close to the investigation saying that the two recent deaths were likely to have been caused by someone with medical expertise who was connected with the hospital.
