Death toll from alcohol poisoning in Iran exceeds 600
Following the outbreak of the coronavirus and the start of a new wave of alcohol poisoning in Iran after rumors intensified, official reports indicate that more than 600 people have died from alcohol poisoning in the country.
On Tuesday, April 9, Gholamhossein Esmaili, spokesman for the Iranian Judiciary, described the number of deaths and poisonings caused by alcohol consumption as higher than "expected," saying that there have been more than 600 deaths and more than 3,000 poisonings in the country.
Esmaili also reported the arrest of a number of people in Khuzestan and Khorasan Razavi in connection with the production of substandard alcohol.
A new wave of alcohol poisoning in Iran has intensified after rumors spread that drinking alcohol could prevent the coronavirus. According to officials, some people have been selling methanol (industrial alcohol) to people by adding chemicals to it, which is toxic and deadly. Experts say that drinking alcohol has no effect on preventing the coronavirus.
News of poisoning of Iranian citizens following the consumption of industrial alcohol was also reported in the provinces of Fars, Alborz, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Khorasan Razavi, East and West Azerbaijan, and Kermanshah province.
A report had previously stated that at least 240 people had died from industrial alcohol poisoning in various provinces of Iran in the past month. This figure has been increasing according to news reports in recent days.
Source: Voice of America
