Investigations into the Enyobeni tavern have unearthed methanol in the bodies of the 21 teenagers who died in the nightclub last month.
Teens had stormed the tavern on 26 June to drink and unwind. By late evening, though, many of them had slumped and died in what has been called one of the biggest bar tragedies in South Africa.
Anger and disbelief greeted the incident, with many calling on the government to investigate the case properly to determine what exactly caused the deaths of the young people. And indeed, investigations have been ongoing.
A new report showed that methanol was detected in all 21 persons that were at the tavern. However, Dr Litha Matiwane, the Eastern Cape provincial deputy director for clinical service, noted during a press conference that although methanol was found in all 21 persons, there “is still progressive analysis of the quantitative levels of methanol and whether it could have been the final cause of death.”
Methanol is a toxic form of alcohol and, therefore, unsuitable for human consumption. It’s used chiefly industrially as an alternative fuel source and a solvent.
South Africa has a serious alcohol problem, and the government has been working assiduously to contain it. It will be interesting to see the final report about the Enyobeni tavern tragedy.
