Two high school students in Pitas, Sabah tragically died of methanol poisoning earlier today after consuming a mixture of a carbonated drink with spirits.
Besides that, 18 other students also suffered from poisoning and are currently being treated after consuming the same alcoholic mixture.
According to Astro Awani, both of the victims were 17 years old and were pronounced dead at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
Kota Marudu District Police Chief Superintendent Zairolnizal Ishak said that the first student died at 4.08pm on Wednesday (14 June) due to multiple organ failures caused by methanol poisoning.
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Meanwhile, the second student died the next day at 4pm due to several brain injuries caused by methanol poisoning. Both deaths were classified as sudden deaths by the police.
It is believed that all the individuals, who are students of a boarding school in Sabah consumed the carbonated drink and spirits mixture on 6 June.
In a previous statement by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on the incident, 48 students were suspected of methanol poisoning. Following lab tests, 27 of the total were diagnosed with methanol poisoning.
Moreover, a proxy sample test to determine the percentage of methanol by the Department of Chemistry Malaysia confirmed that the methanol level was at 89%.
Also read: M’sian Teens From Johor Slammed By Netizens For Forcing A Stray Cat To Drink Alcohol
