Authorities in Thailand say they are still not certain what caused the death of six tourists in the northern city of Chiang Mai but suggest some may have died from being exposed to pesticide or other toxic chemicals.
The deaths include that of a Thai tourist guide, two tourists from Britain, one tourist from France, one tourist from New Zealand and one from the United States. The tourists were staying in three different hotels in the city during January and February 2011. Three other tourists also fell ill but recovered.
The latest news comes from a posting on the Thai government's Department of Disease Control website on Tuesday, that said the authorities have have conducted an investigation into the mysterious deaths but the results were inconclusive, and the "specific agents that caused the deaths and illnesses in these events cannot be identified". It also says the authorities cannot establish exactly how the victims came to be exposed to them.