At least 11 die in Cambodia after drinking toxic rice wine at a funeral

In the past two months, over 30 people have died in three separate incidents across Cambodia from home-brewed rice wine containing methanol

Home-made rice wine is popular at wedding parties, village festivals and funerals as a cheap alternative to commercially produced drinks

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Eleven have died and 10 are in hospital after drinking the toxic alcohol at a funeral in Kampot province in Cambodia. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:09pm, 4 Jul 2021Updated: 8:09pm, 4 Jul 2021

Eleven Cambodian villagers died after drinking rice wine suspected to be toxic during a funeral, a police officer said on Sunday, adding to the kingdom’s growing recent death toll from unsafe home-made alcohol.

In the past two months, more than 30 people have died in three separate incidents across Cambodia from home-brewed rice wine containing methanol – a highly toxic liquid that can cause blindness if ingested.

Since Friday, 11 people who attended a funeral in coastal Kampot province – about 155km from the capital Phnom Penh – died while 10 more were hospitalised after imbibing home-made wine.

“The victims suffered dizziness after drinking the liquor,” a police officer said, adding that samples were collected for investigation.

In rural Cambodia, home-made rice wine is popular at wedding parties, village festivals and funerals as a cheap alternative to commercially produced drinks.

But there is little regulation of the informal brewers, and headlines regularly pop up of mass deaths from a single celebration or village event.