3 women die after drinking binge

Initial investigations by the police show that 3.5 liters of rice wine were consumed by a 54-year-old female landlord with five friends – two women and three men, from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday (July 20) night.

This group continued to drink the next day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., consuming another 1.5 liters of alcohol. The five liters of alcohol of unknown origin were purchased by a man in the group for VND37,000 ($1.58) per liter.

On the evening of July 22, all three women complained of tiredness. They began vomiting and had trouble breathing. Relatives rushed them to a local hospital’s emergency ward.

The landlady died on the way to the hospital. The other two women were taken to the Ca Mau Province General Hospital in critical condition, comatose with no pulse or blood pressure and requiring mechanical ventilation.

The doctors diagnosed them with alcohol poisoning, suspected methanol poisoning (industrial alcohol), and administered emergency rehydration and dialysis, but both died the following day.

Three men who are drinking with them are in good health, including one who is the husband of one of the deceased.

People in the neighborhood said this group of people organized drinking parties occasionally.

Local officials said Monday that families suspect the three women died of alcohol poisoning and did not request a post mortem.

However, police said that deaths will be investigated to determine the cause.

It is not uncommon practice for sellers or makers to mix industrial alcohol to other liquors to reduce prices. Many deaths and serious complications have happened due to methanol poisoning caused by alcohol consumption.