JEDDAH: Police are investigating the death of an Egyptian who was found dead in his pesticides shop in south Jeddah. The Egyptian, according to his Saudi sponsor, was selling industrial-grade insecticide in commercial quantities to farmers for more than 10 years.
“When he did not go home (for the afternoon) and did not open the shop on time, I took some workers and broke open the door to find him lying dead inside the shop,” said the sponsor, who was not identified.
The forensics and homicide police who examined the body said the man died during his sleep after inhaling deadly poisonous insecticide. They said the dead man was not subject to any form of violence and there were no traces of resistance. Police spokesman Col. Misfir Al-Juaid the forensics would determine which insecticide caused the death.
Insecticide-related deaths have been most commonly liked to aluminum phosphide, which emits an often-odorless deadly gas when it comes in contact with water. Aluminum phosphide is illegal to sell in the consumer market, however unscrupulous vendors have sold it illegally. In February a pest control chain used aluminum phosphide in a villa in Jeddah’s Basateen Village compound, killing two Danish children that were in an adjoining flat.
Since the incident took place, there have been no reports of the parents being compensated for the wrongful death of their children.
This case was different from the others because it involved a residential compound hiring a licensed pest controller that administering an industrial pesticide in a residential flat. The pest control company had threatened legal action against anyone publicizing its name.
