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Cleaners at CS Utrecht get sick from unknown drink, one died & the other hospitalized
The two cleaners who became unwell early Tuesday morning immediately after their work at a staging area near Utrecht Central Station had consumed an unknown drink after their shift, the police said on Friday. However, it is unclear how they obtained the drink, "whether they had it with them or found it somewhere," according to a spokesperson.
One of the two cleaners, a 49-year-old man from Amsterdam, died on Wednesday. He was found on Tuesday around 4 a.m. at the Dichtersbaan in Utrecht. A colleague of his, a 63-year-old from Utrecht, passed out on the streets close to the NS terrain. He is currently in the hospital.
The two cleaners working for Vebego were working at a stabling area at Utrecht Central Station on Tuesday morning. Both became unwell and lost consciousness. Colleagues alerted the emergency services. The two were taken to the hospital.
The police are still investigating what the two had been drinking. According to the spokesperson, the incident had nothing to do with their working conditions. For example, there would be no question of the presence of a hazardous substance in the train they were cleaning or the incorrect use of cleaning agents.
Vebego expressed its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased employee on LinkedIn on Friday. "We share in their grief and wish them strength and comfort," they wrote.
The police investigation revealed that both men had been drinking, which was most likely the cause of their indisposition. However, the police do not believe that the victims were injured by the presence of a hazardous substance on the train or by improper use of cleaning agents, for example. What the men had been drinking and how they got it is still being investigated.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times