Two men were sent to hospital when they mistakenly drank alcohol laced with battery acid in Kampot province at the weekend.

Eav Bros, 19, was drinking with Noun Da, 47, when he accidentally poured alcohol into a bowl filled with half of a litre of battery acid that he thought was water, Kampot province’s Troeuy Koh commune chief Pov Sun said yesterday. “They started to drink it together and few minutes later, they started to vomit and called someone for help,” Pov Sun said, adding that the acid was weak and their injuries appeared to be non-life threatening.

“I forgot that I kept acid that I took from a battery in the silver water bowl [the night before],” Eav Bros said from the hospital yesterday

He said that about two minutes after he drank the concoction he started to vomit blood and called for help from his relatives.

“They sent us to the hospital and the doctors helped us very much. I don’t know when I can leave the hospital because I still have a sore throat,” Eav Bros said, adding that he will have monthly check-ups with his doctor until he is deemed healthy.

The doctors helped us ... I don’t know when I can leave hospital because I still have a sore throat

Dr Chhoy Chhung, director of Kampot provincial referral hospital, said yesterday that more tests needed to be done. “Their health is good now, but we need to follow up [on their conditions] because acidic substances can affect them in the future,” he said.

Dr Horng Lairapo, medical and legal manager at the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity, said yesterday that he would follow up on the case.  

“The doctors have to check up on their health at least once a week in order to make sure that their health is normal because we cannot know the results in the short term,” he said.

There have been four incidents involving acid reported at the Cambodian Acid Survivor Charity so far this year.  A draft law on acid regulations was submitted to the Council of Minister in late March.