2 DIE OF ALCOHOL POISONING IN IPOH
Perak deaths suggest problem becoming more widespread
THE alcohol poisoning that has caused 21 deaths over the past several days is believed to be more widespread than originally suspected, claiming victims outside the Klang Valley and Selangor as well.
The Perak government yesterday reported that two Malaysian men from Bandar Baru Putra, Bercham, had succumbed to such poisoning, one last Monday and the other on Tuesday.
State Health, Consumer Affairs, National Integration and Human Resource Committee chairman A. Sivanesan said a 50year-old man died on the way to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh on Monday, while a 39-year-old man died at KPJ Hospital on Tuesday.
“Two Malaysian men, aged 41 and 53, are in critical condition at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital intensive care unit. Another man, 35, is reported to be in stable condition at the hospital,” he said in Ipoh yesterday.
The Health Ministry revealed on Wednesday that the death toll from alcohol poisoning had risen to 21, while police said yesterday 20 deaths had occurred in Selangor.
Sivanesan said an investigation revealed that the men had bought fake alcoholic drinks, believed to be beer and whiskey, in Bercham and Tanjung Rambutan.
“We suspect that there have been 20 to 30 cases of alcohol poisoning.
“The consumers of these drinks suffer from symptoms, such as blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath and body aches, and have to be rushed to hospital,” he said.
No case of alcohol poisoning has been reported in Johor, but state Health, Environment and Agriculture Committee chairman Dr Sahruddin Jamal said the state government was monitoring outlets selling alcoholic drinks.
He said many of the poisoned cases were foreign nationals.
He hoped that the outlets would sell only approved drinks to customers.
Reports from Sabah and Labuan indicate that there had been no case of alcohol poisoning.
In Selangor, state police chief Datuk Mazlan Mansor said the death toll from alcohol poisoning in the state had risen by one to 20 up to 1pm yesterday.
The latest victim was a local, which brings the number of Malaysian deaths to two, he said, adding that the rest were five Nepalese, nine Myanmar, one Indian, two Bangladeshis and one unidentified person.
Sixteen people were in hospitals, he said.
Mazlan said police had recorded 56 cases of alcohol poisoning, including deaths, in Selangor.
Up to 4pm yesterday, there have been no reports of alcohol poisoning in Perlis, Kedah, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Kelantan and Terengganu.