ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

A man who sat down to enjoy a glass of white wine outside a Spanish bar died of massive internal burns due to a tragic mistake by bar staff.

Andrés Lorente was served with undiluted cleaning detergent that had been stored in an empty wine bottle. This had then been erroneously put in the fridge by a member of staff.

The 49-year-old man from Benicarló, Spain, immediately felt a burning sensation and drank water in an attempt to counteract it. Experts believe that this could have contributed to the corrosive effect of the cleaning fluid.

An ambulance was called and paramedics tried to resuscitate Lorente on the scene, but he later died in hospital. The owner of the bar could now face charges.

The incident highlights the risks of storing lethal liquids in empty drink bottles. In July last year a UK man died after accidentally drinking industrial toilet cleaner from a cola bottle.

The liquid bleach had been decanted into the plastic bottle by a friend of the deceased, who planned to use it to clean caravans. Only a few mouthfuls of the liquid proved fatal to 55-year-old Anthony Cosgrave.

And in 2012, a 60-year-old woman on holiday in Cyprus died after drinking what she took to be bottled water in her hotel room. The bottle actually contained stain remover that the maid had left behind after cleaning. Gloria Smith died on her way to hospital.