Deaths in Cuba from Alcohol Poisoning Reaches Nine

HAVANA TIMES — Two more people have been added to the list of deaths in Cuba from wood alcohol intake, while rising to 59 the number who remain hospitalized, according to Havana health authorities.

According to the national television, the new deaths occurred on Thursday, bringing to nine the total number of fatalities, as the investigation continues looking for more people injured.

“There are still some symptoms in a group of the hospitalized patients as drowsiness and some degree of disorientation, (…) But we consider their evolution very favorable and think that no major complications persist,” said Dr. Efren Acosta, a deputy provincial Public Health official.

Methyl alcohol was stolen by two employees of the State Institute of Pharmacy and Food, and then marketed by a woman in the Havana municipality of La Lisa, where the vast majority of the victims live.