- The youngest victim at the party in the Indonesian city of Subang was 16, police said
According to reports, more than a dozen wedding guests were killed and four left in critical condition after drinking illegal alcohol at a party in Indonesia this weekend.
The initial number of fatalities was said to be 11, but has now risen to 14 Jakarta globe reports citing police, while four people remain in critical condition.
The youngest victim at the party in the West Java city of Subang was 16, authorities said.
Police have confirmed one arrest in connection with the incident, while local media report that a couple operating an illegal liquor store were arrested.
In the aftermath of Saturday’s event, 18 partygoers were rushed to Subang District General Hospital for “alcohol intoxication,” hospital spokesman Wawan Gunawan said.
Authorities destroy thousands of bottles of alcoholic drinks after seizing them from illegal traders on March 31, 2022 (file image)
According to the police, the victims died after buying the drinks for the wedding party on Saturday.
Their ages ranged from 16 to 45, police said, and most were reportedly from Sarireja village in Jalancagak district.
Local reports suggest that villagers, outraged by the deaths, vandalized a shop they suspected sold the alcohol consumed during the event.
The deaths are the latest in a series of fatalities caused by homemade booze.
In 2018, more than sixty Indonesians died from drinking cheap, home-made alcohol. Police conducted raids across the country to arrest more than half a dozen vendors, including one who mixed mosquito repellent into his brew.
In 2016, 36 people died in Central Java after drinking locally brewed alcohol.
Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world and drinking alcohol is considered haram or forbidden in Islam.
Most people practice a moderate form of Islam and alcohol is available in major cities, but high taxes make it expensive and some people may turn to potentially dangerous homemade liquor.
Two women collapse after receiving news that a family member died from drinking illegal alcohol at a hospital in Bandung, West Java province on April 9, 2018 (file image)