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Five people poisoned by energy drink

Lu Pai-tsang, president of Paolyta Co, yesterday explains the nationwide recall of the company's famous Bullwild energy drink after five consumers were poisoned after drinking the beverage. PHOTO: FANG PIN-CHAO, TAIPEI TIMES

Five people were poisoned after drinking energy drink Bullwild (蠻牛), purchased separately from several convenience stores in Taichung, police said yesterday. Of the five people affected, three are in critical condition.

Taichung police said that hydride had been added to the beverages and that they are looking for suspects.

Hydride is an extremely poisonous chemical and a very small amount can cause death, according to police.

Police said all Bullwild products, which are made by Paolyta Co, were immediately withdrawn from shops nationwide yesterday.

Police have so far found eight bottles containing poison. The caps on the tainted bottles had been replaced and all had stickers with the words "I am poisonous. Don't drink," stuck onto them, police said.

Additionally, police last night discovered one bottle of Paolyta B, another energy drink, with similar labeling.

Police said the perpetrators likely bought some Bullwild, added the hydride, then resealed the bottles with a new cap and surreptitiously placed them in convenience stores.

Police were not able to gather any fingerprints from the poisoned drinks.

The poisonings began surfacing on Tuesday.

Police said a 55 year-old man surnamed Chou on Tuesday night drank a bottle of Bullwild, and then immediately passed out.

That same night, a 58 year-old man surnamed Ker and a 33 year-old woman named Chao Shih-fang (趙世芳) shared a bottle of the drink. Ker spat out the liquid after drinking only a mouthful, as he said it tasted bad. Chao, however, drank more and passed out, police said.

The hospital said Ker would survive, but Chao would probably remain in a vegetative state.

In addition to these three cases, two more occurred yesterday.

Police said early in the morning a 30-year-old man surnamed Lee passed out after he drank a bottle of Bullwild.

Later in the day, a Taichung convenience store worker drank a mouthful of the beverage and became ill, police said.

The young man was sent to hospital for medical treatment. The hospital said he had been only slightly poisoned. Chou, Chao and Lee, however, are in critical condition, police said.

As part of their investigation, police yesterday visited three chemical shops in Taichung that sell hydride.

As a permit is needed to purchase the chemical, police are trying to identify whether the perpetrators attained hydride from those shops.

Additionally, after checking video surveillance monitors from the affected stores, police said they had identified a suspicious man in a white coat.

All the affected stores were located around the Taichung City government area.

Police are concerned that tainted Bullwild drink may still be available at small betel nut shops, which may not have withdrawn their stock.
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