AMMAN, June 30 – The death toll from methanol poisoning in Jordan has risen to nine, with 17 others still receiving medical treatment, the Public Security Directorate (PSD) said in a statement on Monday.
The announcement followed an investigation into a series of poisoning cases reported last Thursday in the northeastern Zarqa Governorate.
PSD spokesperson Amer Sartawi said on Sunday that several people had experienced symptoms including nausea, dizziness, and respiratory distress after consuming tainted alcoholic beverages.
Investigators traced the toxic alcohol to a single factory, which had distributed the product under multiple brand names, Sartawi said.
Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of methyl alcohol — a toxic substance unfit for human consumption — in both the victims’ biological samples and the confiscated products, he added.
The factory has been shut down and several suspects arrested, pending legal proceedings, according to the state-run Petra news agency. Authorities have also launched a recall of the contaminated products.
Methanol, or wood alcohol, is typically used for industrial purposes. Ingesting it can cause severe health effects, including blindness, organ failure, and death.
XINHUA, 30.6.2025
