HAIL, 24 August — Three persons died in the northern Hail region recently after drinking eau de cologne containing poisonous methanol, medical sources said.
They said the three were first admitted to Al-Sulaimi Hospital, 150 kms from Hail, after they suffered from stomach ache. They were later shifted to King Khaled Hospital for intensive care.The sources said two of the three died at the intensive care unit of the hospital. "The third was dead when he was brought to the hospital," they added. Clinical tests proved they had been poisoned by an intoxicant.
The Commerce Ministry’s anti-trade fraud department has destroyed large quantities of cologne in the past two months after reports of cologne-drinking deaths.Last week, four men died in Ballasmer city, north of Abha, after drinking cologne. In June, 19 people died in Makkah and Jizan after drinking the intoxicating perfume.
