Burlington County, New Jersey (NewYorkInjuryNews.com) — According to a recent report, an elderly woman from Burlington County died after drinking torch oil mistaking it for apple juice. Poison control officials said that five other residents of New Jersey became sick due to a similar mistake. Officials said that one of the sick people included an eight year old girl living in Bergen County whose lungs became permanently damaged after drinking torch oil believing it to be apple juice which she found under the kitchen sink.
Health officials said that they are considering sending out electronic alerts to the local health officials regarding the incidents. The New Jersey Poison Information and Education System’s executive director, Steve Marcus, said that the woman from Burlington County, who had not yet been identified, died on Monday night in a hospital due to complications of damage to her lungs.
He said that the office of the Medical Examiner from Burlington County has been investigating the case. He said that someone gave her torch oil to drink thinking it to be apple juice. Torch oil is a substance like kerosene that is used to light patio torches. The other victims were from Elizabeth, Hillsborough, Burlington and Paterson; four of whom had to be hospitalized.
Marcus said that the incidents are completely unrelated to each other and that more than 12 calls have been received by poison control officials regarding the oil which is available in a transparent plastic bottle. One of the victims thought that the oil was water and tried to prepare coffee with it. Although the bottle contains warning labels both in Spanish and English, people mistake it for something edible.
The stores selling the oil include K-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Wal-Mart and Target.