JAKARTA: Eight people have died and four others are in critical condition after consuming 96 per cent pure alcohol in Cianjur, West Java, local authorities confirmed on Sunday.
Mande Police head Assistant Commissioner Dadeng said the surviving victims from Kademangan village in the Mande sub-district are receiving intensive care at a nearby hospital due to severe alcohol poisoning.
Initial investigations revealed that the victims ingested non-food-grade alcohol, typically used for external purposes like disinfectants, rather than alcohol intended for consumption.
Authorities have not yet questioned the survivors as they remain in critical condition, according to local news outlet Kompas.
The incident began when the group decided to try drinking pure alcohol last week and ordered a jerrycan online, which arrived Thursday evening.
The alcohol was mixed with a flavoured drink but shortly after consumption, they began experiencing chest pain, dizziness and nausea.
The victims returned home but their condition worsened overnight, with one person dying by Friday afternoon and the death toll rising to eight by Saturday.
