Eight Dead, Dozens Hospitalized After Drinking Homemade Liquor
Eight people in Morocco have died and dozens more have been hospitalized after consuming homemade liquor containing methanol, the health ministry announced on Wednesday.
The regional health directorate reported “serious complications from poisoning” leading to the deaths in the town of Sidi Allal Tazi, located about 260 miles from Marrakech.
The town, with a population of just over 3,100, saw more than 100 cases of alcohol poisoning between Monday and Wednesday.
Health officials confirmed that 81 people are still under medical supervision. Authorities have identified two suspects, aged 21 and 41, believed to be responsible for the bootleg alcohol. Both suspects are among those hospitalized.
Methanol, a toxic form of alcohol used industrially as a solvent, pesticide, or alternative fuel, is not intended for human consumption.
The Methanol Institute, a global trade association, warns that methanol poisoning can occur when it is deliberately added to alcoholic drinks as a cheaper alternative to ethanol or through improper brewing of homemade alcohol.
Symptoms of methanol poisoning include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, blindness, blurred vision, seizures, and coma. Consuming just 0.8 ounces of methanol can be fatal.
Similar incidents have occurred worldwide. In 2022, 21 teenagers died in a South African tavern after consuming alcohol suspected to contain methanol. That same year, methanol-tainted drinks killed over 50 people in Peru.
In Morocco, homemade alcohol caused seven deaths in Meknes last year and 19 deaths in Ksar El Kebir in 2022.
Despite Moroccan law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to Muslims, who comprise 99% of the population, alcohol can be easily found in bars, restaurants, and licensed stores with discreet displays.
Other regions with alcohol bans have also experienced large-scale poisonings. In India’s Bihar state, where alcohol is prohibited, 30 people died from tainted alcohol in 2022.
In Gujarat state, which also forbids liquor, 28 deaths were recorded the same year. In 2020, over 100 people died in India from drinking tainted liquor.
Authorities in Morocco are continuing their investigation into this tragic incident and are working to prevent future occurrences of methanol poisoning.
