Iran: adulterated alcohol kills more than 120 in the middle of a coronavirus crisis

Text by: RFI Follow

Iran is the third most important source of coronavirus after China and Italy. 14,000 people were infected, of which 724 died. And the country is facing another crisis: 126 people have died in recent days for having consumed adulterated alcohol.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Tehran , Siavosh Ghazi

This is an indirect consequence of the coronavirus : on social networks, impostors have published information to claim that alcohol protects people from the scourge. It would be enough to mix bleach in industrial alcohol to make it white, and then sell it as locally produced alcohol.

In addition to the large number of dead, more than 1,000 others have been poisoned across the country, some of whom are still in serious condition in hospitals.

The authorities have arrested several people for selling adulterated alcohol and have increased the warnings against the consumption of such products.

The manufacture and consumption of alcohol has been banned in Iran since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, but many Iranians consume alcohol that is generally made locally. It is mainly a kind of vodka that looks like Turkish arak.

According to health authorities, the number of victims could further increase in the coming days.

► Read also: Coronavirus: Iran requests help from the IMF, which has not loaned it money since 1962

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• Coronavirus
• Iran
• Health and Medicine

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