Thirteen people have died and dozens are receiving urgent medical care in Kuwait since Saturday from alcohol poisoning linked to drinks contaminated with methanol, the country's Ministry of Health announced Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry said hospitals have treated 63 cases of alcohol poisoning. Of those, 31 required ventilators, 51 needed urgent kidney dialysis, and 21 suffered permanent blindness or vision impairment.
Kuwait has banned alcohol imports since 1964 and criminalized its consumption in the 1980s. A large portion of Kuwait's population consists of migrant workers from South Asia, many of whom are employed in construction, domestic services, and retail.

Methanol poisoning kills 13 in Kuwait