A satan bug in the village of Khomutets
11.12.2000
L. Kucherenko, the president of Poltava media-club, the responsible coordinator of hearings, turned to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine O. Kuzmuk with the letter concerning the events in the village of Khomutets. It reads.
‘To the Minister of Defense of Ukraine O. KUZMUK
To the commander of chemical troops V. LITVAK
On 17 September 1998 in the village of Khomutets, not far from the well-known spa Mirgorod, during the meeting dedicated to the 55th anniversary of liberation the village from German occupants, in which participated more than 800 persons, a massive chemical poisoning of pupils of the local school, students of the zoological school and teachers took place. The poisoning, according to experts, happened by inhalation. The meeting started at 10 a.m. In ten minutes a girl fell unconscious. At first it was explained by a sunstroke. In twenty minutes many children from the first rows fainted too. Later they would recollect that they smelled a weak odor of medicine oil. Later, when taken to the hospital, the children and their parents noticed small tinsels on their clothes and footwear. Two teachers, seven students and 34 pupils got to the hospital, some even to the intense care ward. It is interesting that only six boys suffered, the rest were girls and women.
The general pattern of poisoning was as follows:
feeling darkness in the eyes; giddiness; temporary insanity; cramps of face and extremities (the face was distorted asymmetrically – the upper lip raised, and the lower lip went down; fingers spread like teeth of rakes; legs curved and feet turned with soles inside); nausea; heartache; grave headache; pain in the eyes; flowing tears; asphyxia; frequent heartbeat; stomach ache; numbness of extremities; sleepiness; abrupt lowering of the arterial blood pressure; some suffered from abrupt changes in the blood pressure; dryness in the mouth and sweet taste; consecutive feeling of cold and heat; cooling of extremities; loss of orientation in time and space; loss of coordination of arms and hands; faints without the reaction to ammonia; disappearance of the pulse; shivering; hysterical state; weeping without cause; active and frequent urination; hallucinations; widening and narrowing of pupils; euphoria; devastating appetite.
Upon the whole, every victim demonstrated individual symptoms. The symptoms also changed with time: during the meeting, during the transportation to the hospital, immediately after the hospitalization, in several hours, in two days, in 12 days (the relapses were observed), etc.
The samples of the ground from the place where the children stood and bouquets of flowers that the children held were taken to the Mirgorod sanitary station in five hours. The analyses showed the qualitative reaction typical for ‘residual quantities of poison from the group of the phosphor-organic compounds’. The fall of holinestaraza activity was fixed on 17 September 1998 in the blood of two victims: down to 16.4 and 26.6 mmohl. A doctor from Poltava, who managed to get the reagents needed for the analysis of holinestaraza, said confidentially that the fall of holinestaraza in tens of times was observed in all victims, but she got an order to write the norm.
On 29 September 1998, in twelve days, the victims again demonstrated literally all symptoms of poisoning, again they were taken to the hospital in a very grave state. Then they had systematic repetitions of the fits: on 15 November 1998, 3 December 1998, 16 January 1999, 11 February 1999, 15 February 1999, 17 March 1999, etc.
The health of the victims was deteriorating all the time. A year passed and they demonstrated such phenomena as: quick tiredness, dyspnea, total weakness, faints, permanent headache and nausea, abrupt changes in the blood pressure, pain in the eyes, heaviness in legs, numbness and pain in extremities, heartache, nerves, unreasonable fear, insomnia, difficulty in concentration, irritation without reason, slow thinking, perturbation of short-term and long-term memory, fear of darkness and light, claustrophobia, fear of being alone in darkness, in some victims: hallucinations, bad appetite, impaired eyesight, discomfort in the stomach, liver, kidneys, bladder.
Practically healthy up to 17 September 1998, the gay and optimistic children turned into small old people unable to bear physical and mental load. During the first year of their illness they got a variety of diagnoses: vegeto-vascular dystonia, dyskinesia of bile channels, myocardial dystrophy, cholecystocholangioholit, pancreatitis, enlargement of the thyroid gland, lymph node enlargement, astenoneurotic syndrome, decreased immunity -- immune deficiency. In two years a number of other diseases were added to the list.
Many participants of the 17 September 1998 meeting, who were not visibly damaged, did not get to the hospital and were not included to the list of the victims, now demonstrate the abrupt deterioration of health with similar symptoms. Yet, doctors refuse to register them.’
Further the letter asserts, that, according to the data of the directorate of emergency situations and in protection of the population from the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe at the Poltava oblast state administration, the Ministry of Defense ignored the request and did not direct their toxicologists to Khomutets for the complete elucidation of the event. They also did not check the conditions of storing poisons at the chemical store in the village of Seleshchina of the Poltava oblast.
L. Kucherenko demands to get an answer to these and other questions concerning the poisonous substances and invites the Minister of Defense to take part in the public hearings ‘Truth about the Khomutets tragedy’.
***
In order to avoid any repetition of the Khomutets tragedy the Poltava media-club ‘Zeleny svit’ and ‘EkoPravo-Kyiv’, the youth parliament of the Poltava oblast, the people’s university at the cultural-educational union of the handicapped ‘Irina’, the Poltava union of women ‘Churayivna’, the Poltava department of the union of Ukrainian voters, the union ‘Eko-svit’ and other public organizations on 30 October will hold the public hearings ‘Truth about the Khomutets tragedy’. Heads of the corresponding branches of the Poltava administration, heads of the profile committees of the Supreme Rada, representatives of ministries and agencies, the oblast state administration, the oblast council, people’s deputies and deputies of the oblast council, representatives of international organizations, parties, national and foreign mass media will take part in this hearings.
Our contact address: 34 Bilshovistska St.
Poltava, 36013
Tel./fax: (1532) 185 184
E-mail: mailto:[email protected]
‘To the Minister of Defense of Ukraine O. KUZMUK
To the commander of chemical troops V. LITVAK
On 17 September 1998 in the village of Khomutets, not far from the well-known spa Mirgorod, during the meeting dedicated to the 55th anniversary of liberation the village from German occupants, in which participated more than 800 persons, a massive chemical poisoning of pupils of the local school, students of the zoological school and teachers took place. The poisoning, according to experts, happened by inhalation. The meeting started at 10 a.m. In ten minutes a girl fell unconscious. At first it was explained by a sunstroke. In twenty minutes many children from the first rows fainted too. Later they would recollect that they smelled a weak odor of medicine oil. Later, when taken to the hospital, the children and their parents noticed small tinsels on their clothes and footwear. Two teachers, seven students and 34 pupils got to the hospital, some even to the intense care ward. It is interesting that only six boys suffered, the rest were girls and women.
The general pattern of poisoning was as follows:
feeling darkness in the eyes; giddiness; temporary insanity; cramps of face and extremities (the face was distorted asymmetrically – the upper lip raised, and the lower lip went down; fingers spread like teeth of rakes; legs curved and feet turned with soles inside); nausea; heartache; grave headache; pain in the eyes; flowing tears; asphyxia; frequent heartbeat; stomach ache; numbness of extremities; sleepiness; abrupt lowering of the arterial blood pressure; some suffered from abrupt changes in the blood pressure; dryness in the mouth and sweet taste; consecutive feeling of cold and heat; cooling of extremities; loss of orientation in time and space; loss of coordination of arms and hands; faints without the reaction to ammonia; disappearance of the pulse; shivering; hysterical state; weeping without cause; active and frequent urination; hallucinations; widening and narrowing of pupils; euphoria; devastating appetite.
Upon the whole, every victim demonstrated individual symptoms. The symptoms also changed with time: during the meeting, during the transportation to the hospital, immediately after the hospitalization, in several hours, in two days, in 12 days (the relapses were observed), etc.
The samples of the ground from the place where the children stood and bouquets of flowers that the children held were taken to the Mirgorod sanitary station in five hours. The analyses showed the qualitative reaction typical for ‘residual quantities of poison from the group of the phosphor-organic compounds’. The fall of holinestaraza activity was fixed on 17 September 1998 in the blood of two victims: down to 16.4 and 26.6 mmohl. A doctor from Poltava, who managed to get the reagents needed for the analysis of holinestaraza, said confidentially that the fall of holinestaraza in tens of times was observed in all victims, but she got an order to write the norm.
On 29 September 1998, in twelve days, the victims again demonstrated literally all symptoms of poisoning, again they were taken to the hospital in a very grave state. Then they had systematic repetitions of the fits: on 15 November 1998, 3 December 1998, 16 January 1999, 11 February 1999, 15 February 1999, 17 March 1999, etc.
The health of the victims was deteriorating all the time. A year passed and they demonstrated such phenomena as: quick tiredness, dyspnea, total weakness, faints, permanent headache and nausea, abrupt changes in the blood pressure, pain in the eyes, heaviness in legs, numbness and pain in extremities, heartache, nerves, unreasonable fear, insomnia, difficulty in concentration, irritation without reason, slow thinking, perturbation of short-term and long-term memory, fear of darkness and light, claustrophobia, fear of being alone in darkness, in some victims: hallucinations, bad appetite, impaired eyesight, discomfort in the stomach, liver, kidneys, bladder.
Practically healthy up to 17 September 1998, the gay and optimistic children turned into small old people unable to bear physical and mental load. During the first year of their illness they got a variety of diagnoses: vegeto-vascular dystonia, dyskinesia of bile channels, myocardial dystrophy, cholecystocholangioholit, pancreatitis, enlargement of the thyroid gland, lymph node enlargement, astenoneurotic syndrome, decreased immunity -- immune deficiency. In two years a number of other diseases were added to the list.
Many participants of the 17 September 1998 meeting, who were not visibly damaged, did not get to the hospital and were not included to the list of the victims, now demonstrate the abrupt deterioration of health with similar symptoms. Yet, doctors refuse to register them.’
Further the letter asserts, that, according to the data of the directorate of emergency situations and in protection of the population from the consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe at the Poltava oblast state administration, the Ministry of Defense ignored the request and did not direct their toxicologists to Khomutets for the complete elucidation of the event. They also did not check the conditions of storing poisons at the chemical store in the village of Seleshchina of the Poltava oblast.
L. Kucherenko demands to get an answer to these and other questions concerning the poisonous substances and invites the Minister of Defense to take part in the public hearings ‘Truth about the Khomutets tragedy’.
***
In order to avoid any repetition of the Khomutets tragedy the Poltava media-club ‘Zeleny svit’ and ‘EkoPravo-Kyiv’, the youth parliament of the Poltava oblast, the people’s university at the cultural-educational union of the handicapped ‘Irina’, the Poltava union of women ‘Churayivna’, the Poltava department of the union of Ukrainian voters, the union ‘Eko-svit’ and other public organizations on 30 October will hold the public hearings ‘Truth about the Khomutets tragedy’. Heads of the corresponding branches of the Poltava administration, heads of the profile committees of the Supreme Rada, representatives of ministries and agencies, the oblast state administration, the oblast council, people’s deputies and deputies of the oblast council, representatives of international organizations, parties, national and foreign mass media will take part in this hearings.
Our contact address: 34 Bilshovistska St.
Poltava, 36013
Tel./fax: (1532) 185 184
E-mail: mailto:[email protected]