Homemade cocktail kills eight

YOGYAKARTA: A party turned deadly in Yogyakarta after eight people reportedly died from drinking a cheap, home-brewed alcoholic cocktail locally known as oplosan.

The eight victims died on separate days after drinking the cocktail Saturday. The last two victims, Slamet Suprihatin, 39, and his brother Marsudi, 55, died Tuesday. They were both pedicab drivers.

"They were heavily poisoned by the drink," said Yahya Firsyad, spokesman of PKU Muhammadiyah hospital in Yogyakarta, following medical examinations of the victims. Chief of Yogyakarta police detective, Comr. Syaiful Anwar, said the case was still being investigated and the police were still questioning the witnesses. - JP