A 50-year-old Russian tourist, Anna Korostelova, was hospitalized in Bali after drinking red wine that is suspected to have been contaminated with methanol. She and her partner, Igor, arrived in Indonesia on May 31 and bought the bottle from a roadside stall. Two days later, on June 2, she was rushed to hospital after the drinking episode turned into severe illness.
According to a friend who spoke to Russian media, Korostelova began vomiting overnight, and by morning her condition worsened with severe nausea, chills, painful sensitivity to light, and difficulty breathing. Igor took her to a local hospital, but on the way she started having seizures and lost consciousness. She has not regained consciousness since then.
Doctors reportedly identified the case as an acute methanol poisoning. Korostelova was placed on a ventilator and underwent hemodialysis, but later developed kidney failure. Her latest EEG showed evidence of loss of brain activity, and a CT scan is expected soon to help confirm or rule out brain death.
Igor, 39, did not drink the wine. Her medical bill has reached nearly 2.5 million rubles, about 100,000 shekels, and is still rising. A friend said Korostelova’s mother is considering selling real estate to help pay, but the family does not want her to do so and hopes to raise support. Toxicologist Mikhail Kutushov said other poisons, including ethylene glycol, can also cause similar symptoms, and stressed that the bottle should be tested if it is still available. It is not yet known whether an investigation has been opened or whether wine samples were sent for testing.
