1xbet Tainted alcohol in Turkey: Death toll rises to 33
Updated:2025-01-17 13:16 Views:174
This illustration photograph shows a glass of a traditional alcoholic drink, “Raki,” in Istanbul, Turkey, on January 16, 2025. Twenty-three people who drank tainted alcohol in Istanbul have died in the past 48 hours and more than 30 others were in intensive care for poisoning, authorities said on January 15, 2025. The figure updated an earlier toll of 19 dead in the Turkish megalopolis, where 34 people have died from drinking counterfeit alcohol since January 1, the city governorate said. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / Agence France-Presse)
ANKARA, Turkey — Thirty-three people have died in Istanbul this week after having drunk tainted alcohol while 48 others received hospital treatment, Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu reported on Thursday.
A previous toll on Wednesday counted 23 deaths since Monday in Turkey’s largest city.
Article continues after this advertisementDrinks adulterated with methanol, an industrial alcohol distinct from the ethanol present in alcoholic beverages, are suspected of being the cause of the deaths.
fafa117 slotFEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION Japan panel says 'megaquake' probability up to 82% GLOBALNATION US bans red food dye, years after scientists raised alarm GLOBALNATION Brazil's Bolsonaro denied passport for Trump inaugurationFour people suspected of having sold contaminated alcoholic drinks were arrested for “intentional homicide,” the city’s governorate said in a statement on Thursday evening.
READ: Istanbul death toll from tainted alcohol hits 23
Article continues after this advertisementSince January 1, authorities have seized nearly 32 tons (29 tonnes) of adulterated alcohol in Istanbul while 64 businesses have had their licenses revoked, the governorate added.
Article continues after this advertisementStore owners have blamed the government for this wave of deaths, arguing that high taxes on alcohol encourage bootleg home distilling.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Tainted alcohol case in Laos: 2nd Australian teen dies
Poisonings from adulterated alcohol are quite common in Turkey, where private production has shot up in the wake of the cranked-up levies.
Article continues after this advertisementSuch alcohol poisoning killed 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 Islamize society, has repeatedly expressed opposition to drinking and smoking.
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