Banteay Meanchey: Banteay Meanchey’s department of health has found out that the high level of methanol killed the seven migrant workers under quarantine in Koub Throm Centre in Poipet City last Thursday. 25 of the workers coming from Thailand were drinking inside the quarantine centre. Seven of them died.

Initial information from the provincial administration said that they were drinking sanitizing alcohol mixed with soda and tea. But the alcohol sample examination shows a dangerous level of methanol in the drink.

Eighteen migrant workers out of 25 survived from the alcohol poisoning last week. Seven of them died after consuming drinks mixed with tainted alcohol. Banteay Meanchey’s Department of Health deputy director Roeun Sothy has told EAC News that they collected an alcohol sample to confirm the cause of death of the workers.

At first, they believed that it was the sanitizing alcohol available in the quarantine centre that killed them, mixed with tea and soda. But a day after the incident, the health department team have seized 186 bottles of counterfeit alcohol, amounting to 123 liters of methanol at Kon Damrey Village in Nimit Commune of Poipet City.

Authorities confirmed that the workers sourced their drinks from the village. The result shows a very high level of methanol from the drink.This concluded the investigation on what caused the deaths of the seven workers in the quarantine centre. Bringing alcoholic beverages inside the quarantine centre is strictly prohibited.

Banteay Meanchey Provincial officials have continuously warned people under quarantine, especially those migrant workers coming from Thailand to adhere to the Royal Government’s policy to avoid similar incident.