Death toll from counterfeit alcohol rises to 13

İZMİR/KIRIKKALE

At least 13 people have died, and 50 more have been hospitalized in the Aegean province of İzmir and the Central Anatolian province of Kırıkkale after consuming fake alcohol.

Seven out of eight people who were hospitalized in Kırıkkale on suspicion of alcohol poisoning lost their lives, while one person’s struggle for survival in an intensive care unit continues.

The number of those who applied to the emergency services of various hospitals with the complaint of methyl alcohol poisoning in İzmir has approached 50, 6 of which lost their lives. 

Most of those under treatment are in critical condition, according to reports.

These are the worst cases of alcohol poisoning since March when 30 people, mostly Turkmen citizens, died after drinking pure alcohol in Istanbul.

As police teams will be launching an extensive investigation on the issue, it is possible to see an increase in poisoning cases, the reports said.

Police raided six locations, including a warehouse and a residence, and detained three suspects in connection with the incident.

Suspects had past criminal records of selling counterfeit alcohol, and the warehouse had been raided by the police four times in the past.

Some of the victims were those involved in homemade brewing, mixing ethyl alcohol and other ingredients, reported by Demirören News Agency.

Alcohol poisoning from illegal drinks has claimed roughly 10,000 lives worldwide over the past decade and more than 100 in Turkey in recent years.