More than 300 people were hospitalized after sipping local coconut during the Christmas season celebrations • The wine probably contained a large amount of methanol
Some of the revelers who were hospitalized after sipping coconut Maine in the Philippines // Photo: Reuters
Deadly wine in the Philippines: At least 11 people died and more than 300 were hospitalized Monday after drinking coconut wine, which apparently contained high percentages of methanol. This happened during the Christmas party celebrations in Rizal town in Laguna province, southeast of Manila.
One by one, the celebrants began to complain of severe abdominal pain after sipping from the same wine brand, under the name "Lambanug", purchased in the area. The local health ministry has announced that they will take samples of "Lambanug" residues and blood tests.
Local media reported that as a result of the incident, Rizal was declared an emergency, and the local government imposed an immediate ban on the sale of "Lambanug" beverages that were in high demand in the town during the Christmas holidays.
A large portion of the coconut in the area is manufactured by the residents, and in the past the government warned against selling non-alcoholic beverages.
Jose Jonas del Rosario, spokesman for the Philippine General Hospital, said one of the by-products of coconut wine fermentation is methanol, whose consumption can cause blindness and even death. Some manufacturers, Del Rosario told the media, keep the methanol in the drink to increase its volume and thus generate more profits.
Last year, more than 10 people died from drinking coconut wine that contained a high amount of methanol.