Nine Indonesians die after drinking tainted alcohol
Monday March 30, 2015
05:35 PM GMT+8
Nine men have died after consuming alcohol mixed with mosquito repellent, Indonesian police reported. — AFP pic
JAKARTA, March 30 — Nine Indonesian men have died after consuming alcohol mixed with mosquito repellent, police said today, the latest deaths in the country linked to tainted drinks.
The men bought the drinks on the street in the city of Prabumulih on Sumatra island on Thursday and were admitted to local hospitals after falling ill, local police spokesman Djarod Padakova told AFP.
The first victim died on Friday, with the ninth passing away yesterday, he added. A tenth man survived.
Padakova said the alcohol had been mixed with mosquito repellent and energy drinks. Media reports said the alcohol was a local brand of gin.
There have been many previous cases where people have died after consuming contaminated drinks in Indonesia.
Last year 16 people died after drinking tainted alcohol to celebrate New Year’s Eve on the main island of Java.
The small proportion of those who consume alcohol in Muslim-majority Indonesia sometimes opt for cheap drinks bought on the street, because legally produced alcohol is heavily taxed and much is imported. — AFP
