Suspected methanol poisoning has k!lled 33 people in Istanbul this week after they drank tainted alcohol – while 48 others received hospital treatment, Turkey’s state news agency reported
A previous toll on Wednesday counted 23 de.aths since Monday in the country’s largest city.
Drinks adulterated with methanol, an industrial alcohol distinct from the ethanol present in alcoholic beverages, are suspected to be the cause of the de.aths.
Four people believed to have sold contaminated alcoholic drinks were arrested for ‘intentional homicide’, the city’s governorate said in a statement this evening.
Since January 1, authorities have seized 29 tonnes of adulterated alcohol in Istanbul while 64 businesses have had their licenses revoked, the governorate added.
Store owners have blamed the government for this wave of deaths, arguing that high taxes on alcohol encourage bootleg home distilling.
Poisonings from adulterated alcohol are quite common in Turkey, where private production has shot up in the wake of the cranked-up levies.
Such alcohol poisoning k!lled 48 people in Istanbul in 2024, according to the authorities.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a devout Muslim accused by his opponents of wanting to Islamise society, has repeatedly expressed opposition to drinking and smoking.
Follow Us on Facebook – @LadunLiadi; Instagram – @LadunLiadi; Twitter – @LadunLiadi; Youtube – @LadunLiadiTV for updates
