Death Toll Rises to 18 from Consuming Illicit Homemade Beer in Southern Zambia.

The number of fatalities from consuming the illicit alcohol made with methylated spirit and shoe polish has increased to 18, with reports of blindness, severe diarrhea, and abdominal pain in Zimba, Namwala, Pemba, and Kalabo. In Sinumbi village, Kalabo, Western Province, four individuals have succumbed to the poisonous alcohol, while seven others are hospitalized. Kalabo police officer-in-charge Humphrey Banda reported that the affected individuals experienced loss of eyesight, loss of consciousness, and abnormal breathing patterns. Kalabo district health director Mbwayu Neto stated that a 43-year-old woman who consumed the drink with 29 others has lost her sight and is currently admitted to Kalomo District Hospital.