Pakistan: Two Nigerians die after consuming tainted alcohol

Lahore, December 27

Two Nigerian nationals died here after consuming tainted alcohol, the police said on Monday.

According to the police, the Nigerian nationals—Oscar Skarmaduka and Kaloavago—who were living in Lahore for quite some time for business purpose consumed the liquor tainted with methanol on Saturday.

They were rushed to a nearby hospital after their condition deteriorated but doctors could not save their lives. Their bodies have been shifted to the mortuary of Jinnah Hospital Lahore.

A police official told PTI that the deceased were cousins and their family has submitted an application for their post-mortem. He said the family did not rule out any “foul play”.

The official said apparently both the men consumed alcohol tainted with methanol.

“However, the exact cause of the death will be determined after autopsy. It is common here that some people make alcohol by mixing methanol,” he added.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), methanol is a widely available chemical, used as a solvent and a fuel, but is also found in trace, non-toxic amounts in fruit juices. It’s also a product of fermentation and is found in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented drinks.

“The low amounts normally found in beer and spirits are not harmful; but problems happen when higher concentrations of methanol form during distillation processes done incorrectly, or when someone adds methanol to drinks illicitly,” the WHO said. —PTI