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Poisonous liquor kills 23
09/09/2006 09:00 - (SA)
Leon - An adulterated batch of
moonshine cane liquor has killed 23 people in Nicaragua, the
government said on Friday, and dozens more with symptoms of
poisoning flooded an overstretched hospital.
Patients overflowed from run-down wards in the public
hospital in the city of Leon, about 90 km northwest
of the capital Managua.
About 90 people were being treated for poisoning. Several
were in critical condition and hooked up to ventilators. Others
were transferred to the capital Managua.
Like many victims, carpenter Benito Figueroa was treated on
a stretcher in a peeling cockroach-ridden corridor. He said he
didn't stop a month-long drinking binge even after hearing what
had happened.
"I knew the drunks were dying but I didn't care, and now
all my friends are gone," said Figueroa, 28, with tubes in his
nose and wrist. "If I'm spared, I'll never drink again.
The sale of home-distilled alcohol is legal in Nicaragua
and widespread in rural areas. Most of those killed were poor,
although one doctor from Leon hospital died.
The bad batch was mixed with methanol, a poisonous liquid
which, when ingested, can cause organ damage within hours and
lead to blindness and death from respiratory failure.
Lacking medicine, exhausted nurses gave patients shots of
high proof fine Nicaraguan rum. Alcohol serves as an antidote
to the poisoning.
"We can't take much more," said nurse Angela Salinas.
"We're hungry and short of medicines."
Outside, crowds of men and women of all ages terrified they
drunk the bad booze jostled to be admitted to the hospital,
while a small group of evangelical Christians loudly prayed.
Police have closed down several vendors of homemade liquor
and confiscated 20 000 litres to prevent
further incidents.
A similar methanol poisoning epidemic killed at least 120
people in the neighbouring country of El Salvador in 2000,
forcing a 10-day nationwide drinking ban.
- Reuters
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