UPDATE: Kamala Police Chief Pol Col Anurak Prinyasathirakul later confirmed to The Phuket News that one person had died, not three as originally reported. The error in reporting is sincerely regretted.
Pol Lt Wichayut Dampheuak, Deputy Investigator at Kamala Police Station, received a report at 2:06am on Saturday (May 9) that four foreign tourists had collapsed while visiting Cafe del Mar Phuket on Kamala Beach.
Emergency responders from the Kamala Tambon Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor) provided first aid at the scene before transporting three victims to Patong Hospital and another to Thalang Hospital.
Police said the group consisted of five Indian nationals identified as Kushagra Agarwal, Rahul Agrawal, another man also named Rahul Agrawal, Agarwal Aman and Aryan Verma.
According to police, the group arrived at the venue at about 11pm on Friday. At about 1:54am, four members of the group reportedly began losing consciousness, reportedly for unknown reasons. Staff contacted emergency services and the victims were rushed to hospital. Police noted that Aryan Verma did not show any abnormal symptoms.
Kamala Police Chief Pol Col Anurak Prinyasathirakul told The Phuket News that hospital tests had since found drugs in the victims’ systems.
“According to the latest report from the hospital, all four individuals tested positive for drugs in their blood, likely due to an overdose,” Pol Col Anurak said.
“However, the specific type, kind or amount of drugs involved cannot yet be determined pending medical examination results from the hospital,” he added.
Pol Col Anurak also clarified confusion over the identities of the victims after police reports listed two men with the same name.
“Regarding the four men, two share the same name, as they are related and from the same family, and one is a friend. Therefore, the names and surnames reported in the case file are correct,” he said.
Officers initially found the four affected tourists unconscious and unable to provide statements.
Later on Saturday, Patong Hospital informed investigators that two of the victims, identified as Kuchakorn Agrawal and Rahul Agrawal, were in critical condition and had been transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for further treatment.
Police were subsequently notified that Kuchakorn Agrawal had died at Vachira Phuket Hospital. Authorities later confirmed that a total of three of the Indian tourists had died following the incident, while the remaining survivors were reported to be in stable condition.
The Indian Embassy has been informed, police said.
A forensic pathologist has been assigned to conduct detailed autopsies as investigators continue working to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the deaths.