Tainted Toddy Claims Lives in Bali

(3/6/2010)

Repeating a deadly pattern that claimed 26 lives last year, locally produced alcohol tainted with methanol has sent at least 23 people to the hospital, two of whom have died.

Those warded at Denpasar's Sanglah General Hospital all come from the Klungkung district of East Bali and were transferred to the capital for more intensive treatment. After drinking locally produced arak those subsequently hospitalized exhibited nausea, headaches, blurred vision and sore eyes. The methanol-laced drinks, if not fatal, leaves victims with permanently damaged internal organs, ruptured mucous membranes and damaged brains.

The victims had consumed the tainted arak while attending a religious ceremony at Batur Temple in Klungkung.

Police are attempting to trace the contaminated drink back to its vendor via a local shop in Klungkung.