This archive report was first published on 23 December 2019.
On December 23, 2019, a tragic incident occurred in the Philippines, where eight people lost their lives after drinking coconut wine, also known as 'lambanog', which contained high levels of methanol.
The victims, who attended gatherings in the town of Rizal, southeast of Manila, complained of stomach pains after consuming the wine.
According to Jose Jonas Del Rosario, a spokesman for the Philippine General Hospital, nine victims were in a critical condition, and 300 people were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Del Rosario, a doctor, explained that methanol, a byproduct of coconut wine fermentation, can cause blindness and death. Some manufacturers keep the methanol in the wine to increase volume and profit.
This incident is not an isolated case, as last year, more than 10 people died from drinking coconut wine with high methanol content.
The local government has imposed an immediate ban on the sale of the beverage, which is in high demand during the Christmas holidays.
