KUALA LUMPUR: The number of deaths from toxic alcohol poisoning in the country has increased to 36 people at 2pm yesterday, with the latest fatality reported in Perak yesterday.
In Ipoh, the Perak Health, Consumer Affairs, National Integration and Human Resources Committee chairman A Sivanesan said a local man, who were among two Malaysians, aged 41 and 53, in critical condition at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB), here died on Saturday.
“The other victim is reported (still) in critical condition at HRPB, while another victim, aged 35, is expected to be discharged soon, he told reporters after attending the “Memory Walk 2018” for Dementia Awareness here yesterday.
This brings to three the number of people who died from toxic alcohol poisoning.
The number of fatalities from toxic alcohol poisoning reported so far was 24 in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur (nine) and Perak (three).
Sivanesan said no new case of toxic alcohol poisoning was reported in Perak, with the number still at five in the state.
On another development, he said an outbreak of mumps was detected at Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman here recently. However, he said the situation was under control.
Meanwhile, in Negeri Sembilan, police received two cases of death in the state possibly from toxic alcohol poisoning, yesterday.
State police chief Datuk Noor Azam Jamaludin said, the police were still waiting for blood test reports for both victims to verify if they died after drinking alcohol.
However, he declined to disclose the personal details of the victims until confirmation has been obtained.
“Both these cases are in Seremban and so far we have not been able to confirm whether the deaths were from the alcohol they consumed.
“What can be confirmed is that they both reportedly took alcohol before the incident,” he told Bernama when contacted in Seremban yesterday.
Noor Azam said police received reports that the alcohol consumed by both victims was not the same type of alcohol which resulted in the deaths in cases in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. — Bernama