Kathmandu, August 15
Nine Nepalis have died in Kuwait over the past three days after consuming toxic alcohol, according to the Nepali Embassy in Kuwait. Several others remain under treatment, while some have already been discharged, hospital officials informed the embassy.
Giriprasad Acharya, Labour Counsellor at the embassy, told Onlinekhabar that details of the deceased are still being collected. He said the exact cause of death cannot be confirmed until medical reports are received.
“In the span of three days, nine Nepalis have died. Until the medical reports arrive, it is not possible to say definitively whether the deaths were due to toxic alcohol or some other cause,” Acharya said.
Kuwait’s Ministry of Health has reported a surge in hospitalisations linked to methanol-laced alcohol. According to official figures, a total of 23 people including nine Nepalis have died, while more than 160 others are receiving treatment. Patients are being treated at Adan, Farwaniya, and Mubarak Al-Kabeer hospitals.
Alcohol is completely banned in Kuwait, but illegal production and sales continue in secret. Authorities are investigating the source of the toxic alcohol. The ministry said some patients are undergoing dialysis due to kidney failure, while others have suffered partial or complete vision loss.
Preliminary investigations suggest the alcohol contained methanol, a poisonous chemical used in industrial products such as antifreeze, solvents, and fuel. While ethanol found in regular alcoholic beverages is safe for human consumption, methanol is not. Drinking methanol-laced liquor can cause headaches, vomiting, blurred vision, coma, and even death.
Most of those who died or fell seriously ill were construction workers, according to officials.
