Six die after consuming liquor

From an Indonesian News Agency, April 16 2014


Malang, E Java - Six residents of the Malang district in East Java died after drinking liquor suspected of being adulterated in a party in Lawang on Monday.

Lawang police sector chief Commissioner Gatot Setiawan said here on Wednesday 15 people binge drank and six of them had died.

"People took the victims to a hospital but six of them could not be saved. Initially, only three people died but today three more died, raising the total deaths to six," he added.

The other victims, meanwhile, are currently being treated in the hospital.

He said the incident was first reported on Tuesday evening.

"We are still investigating the incident to find the real cause of their death. Based on initial investigations, they had died because of the adulterated drinks," he remarked.

The chief of the Lawang regional hospital, where the victims are being treated, Dr. Nisa Arifani said many of the victims were suffering from cramps and vomiting when they were first admitted to the hospital, and a few could not see while the others found it difficult to see.

"Their complaints were similar, namely poisoning from alcohol," she said.

She added that the victims were taken to the hospital one by one and their conditions were already weak when they were first admitted at the hospital, although they were still conscious.

"Some of the victims were still being treated in the hospital, but some were taken to other hospitals, namely the RSSA and the RS Panti Nirmala in the city of Malang," she said



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The Jakarta Globe, Apr 18, 2014


Nine People in Malang Die From Drinking Tainted Alcohol, an update,

Malang. Nine people in Malang, East Java died after consuming oplosan — a locally made mixed alcoholic drink — early this week, while some were admitted to hospital.

More than 20 people participated at two different parties on Monday in which oplosan was served, Malang Police Chief Adj. Sr. Cmr. Adi Deriyan Jayamarta said. Fourteen people were in Jalan Sumberwaras, Kalirejo, and nine were in Sidodadi Village — both of which are in Lawang sub-district, Malang.

“As of today, nine people have died. Five people died in Sumberwaras and four others in the Sidodadi village,” Adi said on Friday.

The remaining partygoers were admitted to three different hospitals in Malang: Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital, Lawang Regional Hospital, and Panti Nirmala Hospital. Three people were in critical condition and were put in the Intensive Care Unit.

The police is investigating the origins of the cocktails, which were being drunk from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m on Monday.

“We have questioned several witnesses and are looking for additional information on the origins of the liquor while we await forensic laboratory results on the liquid used in the mixed alcoholic drink,” he said.

The police had not been able to conduct autopsies on some of the victims because they had been buried by their families.

To determine the cause of the deaths, Adi said that the police took blood and urine samples from one victim admitted to Dr. Saiful Anwar General Hospital in Malang. Police also confiscated bottles of liquor, soda, coffee containers and some unlabeled bottles from the two locations.

The evidence was sent to forensic laboratory in East Java Police to have further examination.

“We suspect they got alcohol poisoning, but it could not be confirmed yet — whether it was caused by methanol or ethanol,” Adi said.

The initial investigation showed that the gathering in Sidodadi was held based on an invitation from Edwin Bachrudin, who was celebrating his birthday. While Edwin died from drinking oplosan, it was unclear who supplied the alcohol in Sumberwaras.

“The drinkers came because they were invited by the homeowners. When they came the oplosan was already available,” Adi said.

Suspicion of alcohol poisoning was derived by the symptoms shown by drinkers who were taken to the emergency room of Lawang Regional Hospital on Tuesday.

Nisa Arifani, head of Lawang Regional Hospital’s emergency unit, said the patients were stricken with different symptoms, such as thumping chest, vomiting blood and sight disturbances

“They all showed signs of poisoning. But we cannot determine the real cause because no autopsy has been conducted,” Nisa said.

The hospital could not conduct the autopsy because the family refused to give permission.



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