Eleven American soldiers were hospitalized on Thursday after mistakenly drinking antifreeze. They had probably mistaken the drug for alcohol. Two soldiers are in bad shape, the US military reports Friday.
The military had just completed a 10-day training session at Fort Bliss, Texas, where some 17,000 soldiers are stationed. Shortly after they drank the drug, they began to feel ill.
Further laboratory research revealed the substance ethylene glycol, or antifreeze, in the sick soldiers, which is mixed with water in vehicles, among other things, to prevent damage from freezing.
The army suspects that the soldiers thought they were drinking alcohol, something that is prohibited during training camps. According to the army command, the soldiers bought the antifreeze “outside the usual distribution channels” and it is not known exactly how they got it.
Drinking antifreeze can cause a lot of damage to kidneys and sometimes be fatal. In the past, people have died after drinking antifreeze. Antifreeze can be easily confused with alcohol.
The military has not disclosed the names of the soldiers. They have to stay in the hospital for now.
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