Methanol Mixed Alcohol Kills 13 People, 21 Others Blind In Kuwait

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Health of Kuwait stated that 63 people experienced methanol poisoning due to contaminated alcoholic beverages in five days. This methanol alcohol resulted in 13 deaths and 21 cases of blindness or visual impairment.

Reported by Reuters on Thursday, August 14, all victims were Asian citizens. A total of 51 people need to be analyzed for immediate kidneys and 31 people need mechanical ventilation.

Kuwait prohibits imports or production of domestic alcoholic beverages, but some are illegally produced in the country in secret locations that do not have any surveillance or safety standards, posing consumers at risk of poisoning.

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait, which has the largest expatriate community in the country, stated that around 40 Indian citizens in Kuwait have been hospitalized in recent days, without specifying the cause.

"There were several fatalities, some were in critical condition, while others were recovering," said the Embassy.