The death toll from a recent wave of alcohol poisoning in western Russia has risen to 25, authorities confirmed Saturday, after forensic examinations revealed lethal levels of methanol in six additional victims.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said the newly examined bodies were recovered between September 10 and 17 from the Volosovsky district in the Leningrad region.
The victims had consumed toxic moonshine containing methanol, a highly dangerous substance often used as a cheap substitute for ethanol in illicit alcohol production.
Incidents of fatal poisoning from unregulated alcohol are tragically common in Russia, where alcoholism remains a long-standing public health crisis.
While the frequency of such mass poisonings has declined since the 1990s, cases continue to emerge, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the latest deaths and are currently awaiting trial.
Earlier this week, two individuals were sentenced to nearly 10 years in prison for producing and distributing a counterfeit cider drink that resulted in 50 deaths in 2023.
The case sparked renewed concerns over the safety of unregulated alcohol in the country.
One of Russia’s deadliest incidents occurred in 2016, when more than 60 people in Irkutsk, Siberia, died after consuming an illegal bath oil laced with methanol.
That tragedy prompted the government to tighten regulations on alcohol substitutes, but enforcement remains inconsistent.
Despite stricter laws, cheap and dangerous homemade spirits continue to circulate, especially in rural regions where poverty is widespread and the cost of legal vodka is out of reach for many.
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