23 Dead as 160 Poisoned, Many Left Blind After Drinking Toxic Alcohol in Kuwait

kuwait ministry of health announces methanol contaminated alcoholic beverage deaths

KUWAIT: Poisonous drinks kill expatriate workers and left many other in serious medical conditions.

UPDATE as of August 15, 2025: According to the Ministry of Health Kuwait’s X account, the number of poisoning cases has now risen to 160, with 23 deaths recorded— all among people from Asian nationalities. Most of the affected individuals have been admitted to intensive care units and needed mechanical ventilation and emergency kidney dialysis.

The Ministry of Health has issued a strong warning, urging everyone to avoid drinking methanol-contaminated alcoholic beverages to save lives. They emphasized ongoing medical and security efforts to prevent similar tragedies. People are encouraged to immediately report any suspected poisoning to emergency hotlines or approved communication channels.

Increase in methanol-contaminated alcoholic beverage poisoning cases to 160, with 23 deaths – most cases from Asian nationalities.

  • The Ministry of Health warns and urges the public to avoid such behaviors to preserve lives.
  • 160 cases of poisoning from methanol-contaminated alcohol beverages.
  • 23 deaths recorded – all cases from Asian nationalities.
  • Most cases admitted to intensive care units, requiring mechanical ventilation and urgent kidney dialysis.
    Continuous medical and security follow-up around the clock to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
  • Call for immediate reporting of any suspected poisoning cases via emergency hotlines or approved communication channels.

– Ministry of Health Kuwait

 

methanol contaminated alcohol drinks kuwait

At least 13 workers from Asian countries have died in Kuwait after drinking alcohol that contained poison. According to a report from GulfNews, the Kuwait Ministry of Health shared this sad news on Wednesday. Many other workers are now in the hospital getting help.

What Happened?

Hospitals in Kuwait have treated 63 people who got sick from drinking bad alcohol. The drinks had a dangerous chemical called methanol in them. This chemical is very harmful and can kill people.

The workers who died were expatriates, which means they came from other countries to work in Kuwait. Most of them were from Asian countries.

How Bad Were the Injuries?

The poisoned alcohol made people very sick in different ways:

  • 31 people needed machines to help them breathe
  • 51 people needed special treatment for their kidneys
  • 21 people lost their sight forever or can barely see now

These are very serious health problems that will affect these workers for the rest of their lives.

Who is Helping?

The Kuwait Ministry of Health is working with many groups to help solve this problem:

  • Kuwait Poison Control Centre
  • Security agencies
  • Other government offices

All these groups are working together to find out where the bad alcohol came from and who sold it.

Finding the Source

The government has started looking into this case to find answers to important questions:

  • Where did the poisoned alcohol come from?
  • Who made it and sold it?
  • How can they stop this from happening again?

The authorities want to catch the people who are responsible for making and selling these dangerous drinks.

Warning to Everyone

The Health Ministry is telling everyone to be very careful about drinking alcohol. They warn that drinking unregulated alcoholic drinks can be very dangerous and even deadly. Also, alcohol is banned in Kuwait.

If anyone thinks they or someone they know has been poisoned by methanol, they should:

  • Go to a hospital right away
  • Call the special phone numbers the government has set up for help

Kuwait Methanol-Tainted Alcohol Kills many