Suspected methanol poisoning has killed 33 people in Istanbul this week after they drank tainted alcohol – while 48 others received hospital treatment, Turkey’s state news agency reported.
A previous toll on Wednesday counted 23 deaths since Monday in the country’s largest city.
Drinks adulterated with methanol, an industrial alcohol distinct from the ethanol present in alcoholic beverages, are suspected to be the cause of the deaths.
Four people believed to have sold contaminated alcoholic drinks were arrested for ‘intentional homicide’, the city’s governorate said in a statement this evening.
Since January 1, authorities have seized 29 tonnes of adulterated alcohol in Istanbul while 64 businesses have had their licenses revoked, the governorate added.
Store owners have blamed the government for this wave of deaths, arguing that high taxes on alcohol encourage bootleg home distilling.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a devout Muslim has repeatedly expressed opposition to drinking and smoking.
