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Reuters
5 days ago
- Health
- Reuters
Tainted alcohol leaves 13 Asians dead, 21 blinded in Kuwait, health ministry says
KUWAIT, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Kuwait's health ministry said 63 people had suffered methanol poisoning from contaminated alcoholic drinks in the five days to Wednesday, resulting in 13 deaths and 21 cases of blindness or impaired vision. The ministry said in a statement on X late on Wednesday that all those affected were of Asian nationalities, adding that 51 required urgent kidney dialysis and 31 needed mechanical ventilation. Kuwait bans the import or domestic production of alcoholic beverages, but some is manufactured in the country illegally in secret locations that lack any oversight or safety standards, exposing consumers to the risk of poisoning. The Embassy of India in Kuwait, which has the largest expatriate community in the country, said around 40 Indian nationals in Kuwait have been hospitalized in the last few days, without specifying the cause. "There have been some fatalities, some are in a critical condition while others are recovering," it added in a statement on X, noting that it is seeking further details.
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Health
- Al Arabiya
Tainted alcohol kills 13 in Kuwait: Health ministry
Consumption of tainted alcohol has killed 13 people in Kuwait in recent days, with dozens of others requiring urgent medical care, the Gulf state's health ministry announced on Wednesday. 'Hospitals have dealt with 63 cases of alcohol poisoning resulting from the consumption of beverages contaminated with methanol since last Saturday,' the ministry said in a statement. Importing alcohol was banned by Kuwait's government in 1964, and its consumption was criminalized in the 1980s. According to the health ministry, the rare spate of alcohol poisonings resulted in 21 cases of blindness and impaired vision, 51 cases requiring urgent dialysis and 31 cases requiring a ventilator, with all the patients coming from Kuwait's Asian expatriate community. A large proportion of Kuwait's population comprises migrant workers from South Asia, who are heavily represented in the construction, domestic service and retail sectors.
