Eight die drinking contaminated home-made alcohol

Tripoli, 10 March 2013:

Eight people are reported to have died and over 80 others been poisoned by drinking home-made alcohol in Tripoli, it has been announced by the police today, Sunday.

According to Tripoli National Security Directorate’s Facebook page, the contaminated alcohol, known as bokha, was made by and bought from a man based in the capital’s western suburb of Gargaresh.

People started appearing in hospital suffering from poisoning on Thursday according to the police. A number of the sick are reported to have been taken into intensive care. Others were allowed to return home after treatment. The victims are from all over the capital, from Tajoura and Ain Zara to Gurji and Ghut Al-Shaal.

Instances of people dying as a result of drinking bokha, often distilled from figs, or being blinded are not uncommon although rarely reported. There were several deaths last year.

Bokha is sometimes laced with methanol to increase its alcoholic content.

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