8 dead, 129 hospitalized in Laguna after drinking lambanog

Eight residents of Rizal town in Laguna died while 129 others were hospitalized after drinking the distilled palm liquor known as lambanog, Super Radyo dzBB reported on Sunday.

According to GMA News' Cor Catibayan, seven of those who were taken to the Philippine General Hospital were in need of critical care, while 21 others needed urgent care.

UPDATE: As of 9 PM, 129 na pasiyente ang dinala sa Philippine General Hospital matapos umanong makainom ng lambanog sa Rizal, Laguna. 7 dito ay kritikal, 21 ay urgent at 101 ay non-urgent. | @gmanews pic.twitter.com/mLcxorKMTD

— Corinne Catibayan (@CorCatibayan) December 22, 2019

According to Luisito Santos' report on Super Radyo dzBB, Rizal Mayor Vener Muñoz has declared a state of emergency in order to access funds with which to help the victims.

JUST IN: State of emergency, idineklara na ni Mayor Vener Muñoz sa Rizal, Laguna kasunod ng pagkasawi ng 8 residente at pagkaka-ospital ng mahigit 100 iba pa matapos umanong uminom ng lambanog. | via @luisitosantos03 https://t.co/idEZbiYrzj

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) December 22, 2019

Meanwhile, a Candelaria, Quezon male resident also died after consuming lambanog, while two others had gone into a coma. Four other victims were also hospitalized.

Police investigators and Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officials had collected samples of the lambanog the victims had ingested, and these would be brought to the Food and Drug Administration for testing.

Meanwhile, the company that manufactured the lambanog that allegedly caused the death of the Candelaria resident had decided to temporarily stop manufacturing the liquor even without an order from the local government. — Ma. Angelica Garcia/DVM/BM, GMA News