Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Russian Engineers Died in Makasar

Three Russian aircraft engineers were found dead last Sunday at the Hasanudin Air Base in Makasar, South Sulawesi.

The men were members of a team of aircraft engineers dispatched by Russia to Indonesia to help assemble and operate newly purchased Sukhoi jet fighter aircraft.

Based on the results of forensic autopsy on their bodies, witnessed by officials of the Russian Embassy in Jakarta, the Police announced that the possible cause of death is Methanol poisoning.

Beside the three men, two others were also treated at a hospital in Makasar after suffering from similar sickness as the three men, i.e vomiting, nausea and headache.

The death of the three engineers would not disturb the delivery of more Sukhoi jet fighters to Indonesia, because Sukhoi will send three new engineers.

I hope that the Police investigation would soon reveal how is it possible that Methanol could be digested by those engineers.

For more details, please read the following media reports :
Polri: Tiga Teknisi Keracunan Methanol (Kompas)
Embassy Probes Deaths of 3 Russians at Makassar Airbase (The Jakarta Globe) 
Sukhoi to send three new supervisors to Indonesia (The Jakarta Post)
Tiga Mekanik Tewas, Perakitan Sukhoi Jalan Terus (Tempointeraktif).

16 comments:

Yari NK said...

Harry, actually both methanol (wood alcohol) and ethanol (alcohol used in boozes) are poisonous. What makes one look more poisonous than the other is the lethal dose. The lower the lethal dose the more poisonous a substance is, and it happens that methanol has way way lower lethal dose than ethanol...

By the way, water has lethal dose too, but it is too high compared to even our daily consumption of water. Try to drink 10 gallons of water at once, you will notice the 'toxic' effect of water in no time. Huehehe...

rasni said...

Hi,Already many cases result in death due to mix liquor with methanol

colson said...

Many Russian men are ardent consumers of Wodka. Their habit of drinking is kind of a 'culture' - not everyday one or two drinks, but occasionally almost limitless boozing.

However, lethal drinking is hardly ever occurs. And if it occurs, it will not happen to three ( almost five) men at the same time at the same place.

So no doubt in my mind that there was something very fishy about the alcohol.

Meutia Halida Khairani said...

wow, i'm sorry to hear that. i think somebody kills them but when i read other's comment on this post, maybe they drank too much liquor.

Unknown said...

@Yari,
Thank you for explaining about the differences between methanol and ethanol both of which are lethal.
I never know that water is lethal too.

Unknown said...

@Rasni,
Yes, I remember that there has been news about people died or become blind because of drinking the mixture

@Colson,
It is difficult to understand how they would ever consume methanol.
As fighter aircraft engineers they should obviously know how lethal methanol is for human beings.
I hope that police investigation would reveal the cause.

@Meuthia,
In order to know the real cause the police must investigate how the Russians consume the methanol.
Let's wait and see.

TUKANG CoLoNG said...

makin suram deh catetan negeri kita

Unknown said...

TUKANG CoLoNG,
Walau terlihat suram, karena itu kita sebagai warga negara wajib membantu dalah segala hal termasuk membantu penyebaran informasi yang berguna bagi kita semua.

Jun H24 said...

we hope that the police can immediately uncover this case...

Edwin's Personal Blog said...

they're professional, but everyone has a back side indeed. it could be taken as an accident, and a lesson as well...

pj said...

Nobody knowningly consumes methanol. There is a flourishing undergroud drinks market in indonesia thanks to the high tax rates on alcohol. The problem with the moonshiners is quality control - last year dozens died on bali and java due to methanol poisoning from these homemade drinks. Perhaps those russians went for the cheap stuff and sadly paid with their lives?

Its frightening that people can sell poison disguised as cheap booze. In my view they are no better than murderers and should be treated as such.

Unknown said...

@JunH24
Yeah, let's hope that the police will immediately reveal find out the truth.

@Edwin,
I agree that although they are professionals but they have their parts which are unknown to public.

@PJ,
The police said they found liquids placed in container with written in Russian in the rooms of the deceased. The Russian embassy official, incl medical doctor, witnessed this. Whereas the Russian ambassador denied allegations that they have been murdered.

Re: sales of cheap alchohol
It is very sad that although for many years so many people in Indonesia died or at least blinded because of consuming cheap alcohol, but they are still sold legally in the market.

Toyin O. said...

Wow, that's awful news. thanks for sharing.

http://youcanfacetodaybecausehelives.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Toyin,
It's an awful news indeed. Thank you for dropping by.

Setyo-Utomo Said said...

Minal Aidin Wal Faizin. Sorry, I am late.

Unknown said...

D.S Utomo,
Minal Aidin Wal Fa idzin, thank you Pak.