Death toll from tainted alcohol in Türkiye rises to 19

(CLO) At least 19 people have died and dozens of others are being treated after drinking toxic mixed alcohol in Istanbul, Türkiye within the past 48 hours, Anadolu news agency reported on Wednesday.

This is up from the previous report on Tuesday evening, when only 11 people died in 24 hours. A total of 65 people have been affected, of whom 43 are still being treated in hospital and three have been discharged.

The number of deaths from alcohol poisoning in the 19th century has increased to 19 people. Image 1 — Unlabeled mixed alcohol. Illustration photo: AI

Anadolu news agency said 26 foreigners were among those poisoned, but did not disclose whether any of them had died.

“The death toll continues to rise,” Istanbul Governor Davut Gul wrote on social media platform X on Tuesday evening, adding that the licenses of 63 establishments selling counterfeit alcohol had been revoked and the establishments had been closed.

One of them was an establishment disguised as a restaurant, selling mixed drinks in water bottles for 30 lira (about $0.85) each, according to private television channel NTV.

The main cause of the deaths is believed to be alcohol adulterated with methanol – a highly toxic substance often mixed into wine to increase alcohol concentration but can cause blindness, liver damage and death.

Poisoning by mixed alcohol is not uncommon in Turkey, where private alcohol production has increased as the government has repeatedly raised taxes on alcoholic products.

The most commonly counterfeited liquor is raki, a traditional Turkish spirit flavored with anise, which has skyrocketed in price to around 1,300 lira ($37.20) per liter in supermarkets.

According to city government figures, in 2024, 110 people were poisoned by drinking mixed alcohol in Istanbul, of which 48 died.

Poisoning by counterfeit alcohol is on the rise as high taxes push up the price of alcoholic beverages. The minimum wage in Türkiye rose to 22,104 lira (about $600) on January 1, but alcohol remains out of reach for many.

Faced with the rising problem of alcohol poisoning, the Istanbul government has stepped up its crackdown on counterfeit alcohol production and sales. However, the high demand and high price of genuine alcohol have led many low-income people to turn to cheap mixed drinks, which pose a high risk of poisoning.

Hong Hanh (according to Anadolu, NTV, CNA)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/so-nguoi-tu-vong-vi-ruou-nhiem-doc-o-tho-nhi-ky-tang-len-19-nguoi-post330620.html