T

hree foreign tourists are believed to have died after drinking home-distilled traditional arak liquor in West Nusa Tenggara and Bali over the weekend.

The latest case in the recent rash of alcohol poisoning claimed its second foreign victim Monday, when a 48-year-old American woman was pronounced dead at Sanglah Central Hospital's ICU.

The victim was identified as Rose Johnson, who lived on Jl. Hang Tuah 41 in the quiet tourist village of Sanur.

She was taken to the hospital Sunday night, and pronounced dead a few hours later, at 1.30 a.m. on Monday.

"The patient was unconscious when she was admitted here, and displayed signs of alcohol poisoning," said I.B. Putu Alit, head of Sanglah's forensic unit.

The slew of poisonings claimed its first foreign victim Saturday, British national Alan Cole.

An autopsy of Cole's body showed he died from alcohol poisoning.

"The autopsy was requested by North Kuta Police," Alit said.

"The body showed no signs of violence and displayed several signs typical of alcohol poisoning."

The forensic medicine unit has so far examined 51 victims of alcohol poisoning.

Tests conducted by the unit have confirmed all victims suffered from moderate to severe levels of alcohol poisoning.

"As many as 21 victims have died, including two foreign nationals," said Ken Wirasandi, head of Sanglah's medical services unit.

Local police have confirmed the poisoning was caused by the consumption of traditional arak liquor spiked with methanol, used locally in rural areas as fuel for pump lanterns.

The drink is spiked to boost its potency.

Over on Lombok Island, Dutch national Rene Puper, 23, died Sunday evening in the intensive care unit of Mataram General Hospital, after being admitted to the hospital earlier in the day.

His partner, Rachel Craig, 22, a British citizen, died a day earlier on Gili Trawangan, a small resort island in North Lombok.

Puper's body was examined at Mataram General Hospital on Monday, while Craig's body is still being kept at the Bhayangkara Kemala Hikmah Police Hospital, also in Mataram.

Gili Trawangan village chief Zainuddin M.Z. told reporters at the hospital that Puper and Craig had arrived at the resort island on Saturday afternoon and later checked in at the Emelia Guesthouse.

"Two hours after checking in, Puper stormed out of the room seeking help because his partner Craig was in agony," Zainuddin said.

He added the two foreign nationals had reportedly been seen drinking arak on the nearby island of Gili Meno, shortly before crossing over to Gili Trawangan.

"Witnesses noticed them drinking arak in Gili Meno before arriving in Trawangan," he said.

"Many people saw them in an intoxicated state as they arrived in Trawangan."