A man stand opposite the Suleymaniye Mosque at the Golden Horn marking the inlet to the Bosphorus, at sunset in Istanbul on January 7, 2025. Agence France-Presse ISTANBUL — 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 Wednesday. 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. Article continues after this advertisementOver the past fortnight, 29 tonnes of counterfeit alcohol had been seized in Istanbul and 64 businesses selling tainted or contraband alcohol had been shut down, it added. FEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION Israel and Hamas agree to a ceasefire deal GLOBALNATION NBI arrests 5 Pinoys offering bribe to free 12 Chinese GLOBALNATION Thousands across Gaza celebrate ceasefire dealREAD: Tainted alcohol case in Laos: 2nd Australian teen dies A total of 66 people were affected. Article continues after this advertisementAside from the dead, 32 people were being treated in intensive care, another eight were on a normal hospital ward and three were discharged, it said. Article continues after this advertisementThere was no immediate comment from the health ministry. Article continues after this advertisementIn 2024, 110 people fell ill after drinking tainted alcohol in Istanbul, of whom 48 died, governorate figures show. Alcohol tainted with methanol is thought to be the cause. Article continues after this advertisementREAD: More than 80 dead from tainted liquor in Indonesia Methanol is a toxic substance that can be added to liquor to increase its potency but which can cause blindness, liver damage and death. Poisonings from adulterated alcohol are quite common in Turkey, where private production has shot up as authorities crank up taxes on alcoholic drinks. rakin bacon slot machineThe most commonly faked product is raki, Turkey’s aniseed-flavored national liquor whose price has leapt to around 1,300 lira ($37.20) a litre in supermarkets. This is because the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is still studying whether they will grant the price adjustments petitioned by manufacturers. On January 1, Turkey’s minimum wage rose to 22,104 lira ($600). Subscribe to our daily newsletter Turkey’s authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogancc6 online casino, who has been accused of trying to Islamize society in the officially secular state, has often criticized the consumption of alcohol and tobacco. READ NEXT Death toll at illegal South African mine reaches 78 Senate probe sought into deaths, arrest of OFWs in Kuwait EDITORS' PICK Darryl Yap’s motion to consolidate ‘Pepsi Paloma’ cases filed by Vic Sotto denied 10 key moments in the Israel-Hamas war Electricity grid rate tipped to rise in February PH consulate offers emergency services to Filipinos affected by LA fires PNP: More voyeurism, online libel cases in 2024 Quezon City joins the world’s Resilient Cities Network MOST READ PNP says mall guard in viral video may lose license MMFF 2024: ‘And the Breadwinner Is,’ ‘Green Bones’ top box office INQToday: Marcos stance on Duterte impeachment ‘unchanged’ amid Enrile’s remarks Weaker peso curbed remittances in November Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments |
