Kuwait Toxic Alcohol: 12 Nepalese Dead, All Patients to Be Deported

Kathmandu: The number of Nepali nationals who have died due to consumption of toxic alcohol in Kuwait has reached 12, the Nepali Embassy in Kuwait confirmed on Sunday. Approximately 30 others remain hospitalized following the incident.

Last week, over 160 people fell ill after consuming illicit liquor contaminated with methanol, a deadly chemical. According to Kuwait’s Ministry of Health, 23 migrant workers from various countries have died so far in connection with this incident.

The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry has arrested 67 individuals involved in the production and sale of methanol-laced alcohol, including several Nepali citizens. Security forces apprehended one Nepali from the Salmiya area with methanol, leading to further arrests of Nepali nationals. Additionally, Indian and Bangladeshi citizens have also been detained.

Local media report that those arrested may face murder charges. Authorities have also shut down six illegal alcohol manufacturing units as part of a widespread crackdown ordered by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah.

All patients hospitalized due to toxic alcohol consumption are set to be deported after receiving medical treatment. Those proven to have consumed alcohol will face entry bans on returning to Kuwait.

Alcohol production, consumption, and sale are strictly prohibited in Kuwait, and violations are met with severe penalties, including deportation.

Currently, over 160,000 Nepali workers reside in Kuwait. This incident has damaged the reputation of the Nepali community there. The Nepali Embassy and the Non-Resident Nepali Association have urged their nationals to refrain from illegal activities.

More than 50 percent of Nepalis incarcerated in Kuwaiti prisons are reportedly involved in cases related to alcohol or drugs.