16-6-2023 (KUALA LUMPUR) According to a report by “China Press,” a recent incident involving 27 secondary school students who suffered methanol poisoning after consuming a mixture of soda and hard liquor has resulted in the death of two students.
The students, aged between 13 and 17, attended a national secondary school in Sabah, Malaysia. On June 6th, one student purchased a bottle of soda and two bottles of liquor from a nearby grocery store and brought them back to the dormitory to share with others. After consuming the mixed beverages, they collectively experienced methanol poisoning symptoms, with two individuals suffering from muscle spasms and respiratory distress.
Upon notifying the dormitory administrator, all the affected individuals were rushed to a nearby clinic for treatment. As of 10 a.m. yesterday, a total of 27 students were confirmed to have suffered methanol poisoning due to alcohol consumption.
Dr. Asyraf, the Deputy Director of Sabah Health Department, stated that 25 students have been discharged from the hospital, while two students are still receiving treatment in the emergency rooms of Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1 and Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2 in Kota Kinabalu.
Unfortunately, the student undergoing treatment at Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1 succumbed to organ failure caused by methanol poisoning on the 14th of this month. The student being treated at Queen Elizabeth Hospital 2 suffered severe brain damage due to methanol poisoning and passed away yesterday.
Thus far, this collective poisoning incident has claimed the lives of two 17-year-old secondary school students.
After analyzing the samples, the Malaysian Chemistry Department discovered that the methanol content in the beverages was 89%. The Health Department has issued a reminder to the public, urging them to refrain from consuming mixed alcoholic beverages without caution.
