Korean hostess declared brain dead after 18 drinks at Chinatown pub

SINGAPORE - A young bar hostess has been declared brain dead and nearly lost her life after downing 18 glasses of hard liquor to earn a tip of $900, reported Shin Min Daily.

According to the Chinese daily, the victim was a beautiful Korean woman working at an exclusive Chinatown KTV bar. She was said to be in her twenties.

During the drinking session, she downed a large amount of hard liquor before collapsing. Colleagues who found her said her skin felt cold, and an ambulance was called to the scene.

Shin Min reported that earlier in that evening, a local and well-to-do customer had brought some friends to the Chinatown spot for drinks.

He had booked a room and asked for a few bar hostesses to join them.

The client reportedly told the hostesses that he would give each person $50 for every drink consumed, and that there was no limit to the number of glasses they could drink.

To get the money, some of the hostesses took up the challenge and started to down drinks heavily.

Soon, the women started to feel discomfort and rushed to the toilets to throw up, Shin Min said.

An eye witness told the paper that he saw one of the women vomiting and went to check on her. After finding out what happened, he heard a scream come from the next room.

Upon investigating, the Korean bar hostess was seen unconscious and could not be revived. Her body was described to be "very cold".

Paramedics arrived at 1.30am and she was rushed to hospital where doctors managed to save her life. Unfortunately, she was declared brain dead, said the Chinese daily.

She is currently still under observation in the Intensive Care Unit.

wjeanne@sph.com.sg