Tourist left ‘brain dead’ by ‘methanol-laced red wine’ at popular Brit holiday hotspot

While on holiday with her boyfriend in Bali, Anna Korosteleva was admitted to hospital after purchasing a bottle of red wine bearing the label of a popular brand from a roadside stall

A tourist has lost her brain activity after allegedly drinking wine adulterated with methanol. Anna Korosteleva and her boyfriend Igor travelled to Bali, Indonesia, on May 31. Just two days later, on June 2, Anna, 50, was admitted to hospital. The couple had purchased a bottle of red wine bearing the label of a popular brand from a roadside stall. Igor, 39, did not drink any of it, but Anna – originally from Engels, Russia – had two glasses. One of her friends told Russian media: “At night she started vomiting heavily, and by morning it got even worse – severe nausea, chills, a painful reaction to light, and difficulty breathing. Igor immediately took her to a local hospital. On the way she began having seizures and lost consciousness. She has not regained it since.”

Doctors identified the suspected cause of poisoning as acute methanol intoxication. Anna was placed on a ventilator and underwent haemodialysis. Despite this, she developed kidney failure, and the latest electroencephalogram results indicate a loss of brain activity. However, her loved ones refuse to accept this and are doing everything possible to confirm whether she can still be helped. It is not yet known whether an investigation has been launched or whether samples of the wine have been sent for analysis. Toxicologist Mikhail Kutushov told Russian media: “Poisoning can also be caused by other toxins, for example ethylene glycol. “If the bottle still exists, it must be sent for analysis – traces of methanol can be detected there.”

In recent years, Anna had lived in Moscow and abroad, mainly in Vietnam, where she worked as a real estate agent. Her medical bill has reached nearly 2.5m RUB ( £25,834) and continues to rise, as reported by Need To Know.

A friend told Russian media: “Anna’s mother is planning to sell a plot of land, but we don’t want her to do that. We will try to help.” A CT scan will be carried out to confirm or rule out brain death. Several Western governments have issued warnings about alcohol risks in South East Asia on their consular and travel advice pages. They caution that contaminated drinks may include locally brewed spirits, cocktails, and even commercially branded alcohol.