Jordan Launches High‐Level Probe into Deadly Methanol Poisoning
Judicial committee formed after at least nine deaths and dozens sickened by tainted local spirits.
Watan-Dr. Nayef Smarate, head of Jordan’s Public Prosecution, announced the formation of an indictment committee comprising three investigators within the Court of First Instance’s Major Crimes Division—marking the first step toward a thorough, in-depth investigation of the methanol poisoning incident that has become a national scandal, claiming at least nine lives and leaving 50 others hospitalized, some in critical condition, across all age groups.
Recognizing the likelihood of additional cases, the Public Security Directorate released the names of ten locally manufactured brands suspected of containing the toxic mixture. While the public now knows which specific brands are implicated, authorities have withdrawn all stock of these products from markets and shops—a measure that may prove insufficient if additional batches have circulated.
Establishing a judicial investigative team underscores the tragedy’s magnitude and has reignited every question regarding food‐safety oversight in the kingdom.
Delayed Official Response and Rapid Health Ministry Intervention
Government bodies have engaged with the crisis, though no official political statement was issued until Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health’s technical directorate confirmed 50 methanol‐poisoning cases linked to one factory’s over-strength alcohol blend, according to official sources.
Health Ministry data indicate that some contaminated beverages reached a wedding in the Jordan Valley (al-Ukhaydir), where preliminary inquiries found 27 guests fell ill—explaining part of the high case count, especially since Jordanian weddings rarely serve alcohol.
Investigators have determined that one factory used methanol at levels well above legal limits in producing cheap local spirits, causing the spike in fatalities and hospitalizations.
Within hours, the Health Ministry implemented an aggressive treatment protocol—rapid kidney and blood dialysis—that helped limit the death toll.
Security forces have detained several factory employees, and the newly appointed prosecution team may restrict further public disclosures as interrogations begin. The incident has fueled intense debate among Jordanians, spanning political, social, and religious dimensions.
