42 dead of alcohol poisoning
2005-06-26 17:33
Nairobi - The number of people killed after drinking an illegal brew laced with industrial alcohol has risen to 42, Kenyan police said on Sunday.
At least 80 people were hospitalized, with symptoms ranging from dizziness to loss of eyesight. Eight Kenyans are comatose after drinking the home-made brew.
Kenyan investigators suspect the brew, made from sugar, contained a high concentration of methanol to strengthen it. A few tablespoons of methanol can be fatal to humans.
Associated Press Television News video footage showed nurses in a crowded hospital ward working frantically to resuscitate poisoned patients.
Other people were shown in beds being intravenously re-hydrated, and some drunk patients were pictured struggling to stay on their feet on Saturday.
"We have arrested quite a number of suspects who are assisting the police in investigations in the source and distribution network of the brew," Chigamba said.
But police were still searching for a woman believed to have distributed the illegal brew, known locally as chang'aa, to several illegal bars, he said.
Methanol is highly poisonous and can cause blindness and lead to death.
- AP