Nairobi - The illegal moonshine that killed at least 51 people and left more than a dozen blind in Kenya was nearly pure methanol with a concentration far higher than normally found in such toxic concoctions, health officials said on Wednesday.
"According to tests, the drink was pure methanol, the highest-ever methanol content we have found," said Simon Mueke, director of the Machakos District Hospital south-east of Nairobi which treated most of those who drank the brew.
"The drink was 94.70 percent methanol and the rest was water," he told reporters from the hospital about 60km from the capital. "We did not find any trace of (ethyl) alcohol or any other impurities in the drink.
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"Medically speaking, it was pure methanol," Mueke said.
Kenyan authorities have arrested seven people, including the owner of the bar where the drink was served to patrons on Friday night, and launched a nationwide crackdown on bootlegging in the wake of the tragedy.
Police said they were still pursuing others behind the sale of the methanol, a toxic chemical used in industry as a solvent or antifreeze but often added to illegal brews to increase its potency and volume.
Alarmed by the deaths, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki this week ordered a crackdown on illicit liquor across the country where homemade booze known as "chang'aa" is widely consumed by impoverished residents.
Press reports said more than 100 illegal breweries had been shut down and tens of thousands of liters of illicit liquor confiscated since the crackdown went into effect.
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