The forensic examination report shows that the boy died of phosphine poisoning. The tragic death of their beloved son left his parents heartbroken. Aluminum phosphide was found to be the culprit.
The forensic examination report revealed that highly toxic phosphine substances were detected in the boy's liver.
On the morning of October 16 at around three o'clock, Huang An was suddenly awoken by his son's cries. "I saw my child vomiting while lying on the edge of the bed, and his body was still shaking." About an hour later, Huang An and his wife Wu Qin also exhibited similar symptoms. On the way to the hospital, their two-and-a-half-year-old son Hao Hao (a pseudonym) passed away despite medical efforts.
Huang An's rented house was only separated by a wall from a traditional Chinese medicine warehouse. On October 14, he saw the warehouse owner placing a can of medication inside. He later learned that it was aluminum phosphide.
Aluminum phosphide absorbs air, reacts with water or acid, and immediately releases colorless and highly toxic phosphine gas. Exposure for 0.5-1 hours can lead to death.
The 37-year-old Huang An is struggling with the pain of losing his son. His family rented a house in Chengdu's Xin Du Da Feng Town, just one wall apart from a traditional Chinese medicine warehouse.
On October 14, he saw the warehouse owner Zhou placing medication inside to prevent insects from damaging the herbs. Early on October 16, all three members of Huang's family exhibited symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and limb weakness. During the journey to the hospital, their two-and-a-half-year-old son Hao Hao (a pseudonym) passed away due to ineffective treatment.
Yesterday, Huang An received Hao Hao's medical appraisal report, which indicated that highly toxic phosphine substances were detected in Hao Hao's liver.
This made Huang An even more certain of his suspicion: his son was poisoned by the insecticide from the neighboring herb warehouse.
In the middle of the night, the two-and-a-half-year-old son couldn't be saved.
The incident occurred at 3 a.m. on October 16. Huang An was suddenly awakened by his son's cries during sleep. "I saw my child vomiting while lying on the edge of the bed, and his body was still trembling."
At the time, Huang An thought that his son's sudden illness might be food poisoning, "I thought there was something wrong with the dinner."
The couple immediately got up to take care of Hao Hao, but about an hour later, Huang An and his wife Wu Qin also exhibited similar symptoms: nausea, vomiting, and limb weakness.
"Quickly go to the hospital." Huang An called his relatives in Chengdu and asked them to help get three appointments at the provincial hospital. He stopped a car and drove towards Chengdu. In the car, Hao Hao continued to vomit and started convulsing.
Seeing his son's serious condition, Huang An thought they might not make it to the provincial hospital. When passing by the West District Hospital, he asked the driver to stop, then carried his son and supported his wife into the hospital.
Hao Hao, who had the most severe condition, was immediately sent to the emergency room for treatment. Wu Qin and Huang An were subsequently sent to the hospital for treatment. After being treated by doctors, both were out of danger.
"If I had arrived at the hospital half an hour later, I might not have been saved either," said Wu Qin.
More than an hour later, the doctor announced that Hao Hao had passed away due to ineffective treatment. Upon hearing this news, Wu Qin instantly collapsed. She squatted on the ground and cried loudly.
Suspicions arose
Could the sudden serious illness be related to the herb warehouse?
Huang An said that when he was being treated in the hospital, the doctor ruled out food poisoning for Hao Hao, "The doctor said that food poisoning doesn't present these symptoms, and it doesn't develop so quickly."
Huang An also called his friend who ate dinner with him that evening, and the friend did not exhibit any symptoms.
Then what was the cause? At this point, a detail came to his mind.
Huang An said that at noon on October 14, all three members of his family were at home. He saw the warehouse owner Zhou carrying a tin can into the warehouse. Huang An also greeted Zhou, who politely nodded.
A few minutes later, Zhou walked out of the warehouse, tightly closed the doors and windows, and sealed them with newspaper coated with glue.
"After he placed the item, he didn't tell us what he had placed in the warehouse," Huang An suspected that this was the root cause of his son's death.
Residents confirmed
The herb warehouse owner had indeed placed aluminum phosphide
On October 17, the police went to the herb warehouse for investigation. According to a resident named Mi Quanmin who was present at the time, he witnessed the entire investigation process. "A forensic expert found some white powder in the herb warehouse. He asked the warehouse owner's wife what the white powder was, and she replied that it was aluminum phosphide, a chemical used to fumigate herbs," said Mi Quanmin.
Mi Quanmin disclosed that many people were present at the time, and he personally heard the warehouse owner's wife respond. Another nearby resident surnamed Wen also confirmed hearing the warehouse owner's wife say this.
Yesterday, reporters from Huaxi Metropolis Daily observed at the scene that this warehouse was approximately 20 square meters in size, a dilapidated brick and tile building. After the incident, the police had already posted a seal on the warehouse door.
The warehouse was only separated by a wall from the rented house where Huang An's family lived. Due to the old age of the building, some walls had cracks. Huang An's home was simple, and after the incident, under the police's request, the Huang family had moved out of the rented house. Yesterday, after opening the door to Huang An's home, a strong smell of chemical substances could still be detected inside.
According to information obtained by Huaxi Metropolis Daily, aluminum phosphide is a broad-spectrum fumigant insecticide mainly used for fumigating various warehouse pests and can also be used for rodent control in warehouses.
After absorbing air, reacting with water or acid, aluminum phosphide immediately produces highly toxic phosphine gas, a colorless, highly toxic, flammable gas. When the content of phosphine gas in the air exceeds 9.7 mg/m³, it can cause poisoning; when it exceeds 550 mg/m³, contact for 0.5-1 hour can result in death.
Drug test report
Phosphine was detected in Hao Hao's body
Yesterday, Huang An received the drug analysis identification report from Sichuan Huaxi Forensic Medicine Identification Center, which clearly stated: "Phosphine was detected in the liver tissue sent for testing."
This further confirmed Huang An's suspicions. "It was their medicine that poisoned my child. I must seek justice for my son."
Hao Hao was the third child of Huang An's couple to die prematurely. Their first child was miscarried, and their second child suffered from difficult labor.
"It was so hard to have a child, raising him to two and a half years old, and now he's gone like this," Wu Qin wiped her tears.
Huang An and his wife worked at home every day processing clothes for others, living off a monthly income of over 1,000 yuan. "Although life was tough, we had hope because we had a child. Now, this hope is completely shattered."
Huang An is 37 years old this year, and his wife Wu Qin is already 36. In their view, the possibility of having another child is slim, "We're older, it's harder to have another child. More importantly, we can't forget Hao Hao."
Huang An's younger sister, Huang Xichun, constantly prevented the couple from taking extreme actions, fearing that they might self-harm. "After Hao Hao's death, they repeatedly told me that life has no meaning. My sister-in-law often cried through the night, and I couldn't comfort her," she said.
Yesterday afternoon, the reporter contacted Zhou, who refused to comment on the phone, stating that everything would be investigated by the police, and then hung up.
After his son's death, Huang An entrusted a friend to buy a bottle of aluminum phosphide, which cost only one yuan. Huaxi Metropolis Daily reporters observed yesterday that the packaging of this highly toxic substance was very simple, a plastic bottle the thickness of a thumb, sealed with wax, containing five tablets per bottle. The label read "56% aluminum phosphide tablets" and "Strictly prohibited for indoor storage and use," without any usage instructions or other markings.
Yesterday, Huang An discovered that several agricultural supply stores in Ban Zhu Yuan, Da Feng Town, Xin Du District, were selling aluminum phosphide, and no procedures were required for purchase. One of the agricultural supply store owners even persuaded Huang An, "You should buy this 30-yuan-per-can aluminum phosphide, it contains dozens of bottles, much more economical." Huang An said that when he asked the store owner about the precautions for using aluminum phosphide, the owner's response was "No problem."
Captain Wang of the Chengdu Agricultural Commission Enforcement Team said that aluminum phosphide is commonly used as a fumigant for grain and warehouses, and departments such as the Agricultural Commission, Industry and Commerce, and Chemicals all have the authority to supervise it. However, he revealed that purchasing this substance does not require any procedures, "You can buy it from regular agricultural supply stores."
Reporters from Huaxi Metropolis Daily Hu Ting, intern reporter Cao Yisha, photographer Lei Yuandong
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