Eleven active-duty US soldiers are in hospital after consuming liquid believed to be alcohol, but which turned out to be antifreeze, leaving two soldiers “seriously ill” in need of intensive care .
Soldiers soaked in the poisonous chemical Thursday during a 10-day field exercise at the McGregor Range complex in Fort Bliss, Texas, the military said, adding that they had drunk the substance thinking it was a ” alcoholic drink. “ They quickly reported feeling sick and were taken to hospital for treatment.
“All the wounded remain at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center. Two soldiers are still seriously ill and are admitted to the intensive care unit ”. Fort Bliss spokesman Lt. Col. Allie Payne said in a statement Friday, adding that the other nine were still “Under observation and close monitoring in the laboratory.”
The first toxicology results indicate that the soldiers are suffering from ethylene glycol poisoning.
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Payne noted that military regulations “Prohibit the consumption of alcohol in a field training environment”, saying in a separate statement that the substance was “Acquired outside authorized food product distribution channels. “
The 11 soldiers showed “Significant improvement” As of Thursday, Col. Shawna Scully, who runs the medical center, told CBS. She said if a soldier was intubated on Friday he is now stable and all is well “Incredibly good. “
Ingesting ethylene glycol can lead to rapid kidney damage and even organ failure if enough is consumed, Scully said. It is not clear how much of the chemical each soldier drank.
The wounded soldiers include one non-commissioned officer, two non-commissioned officers and eight enlisted personnel, all active duty personnel assigned to the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade at Fort Bliss
The exact circumstances of the incident are under investigation by local military officials as well as the Army Criminal Investigation Command, but Payne said there was no indication of a “Threat to the great community of Fort Bliss.”
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