The death toll from methanol poisoning has risen from to 34 in the Orenburg Region, located in the south of the Urals, after two more people died in the recent hours, the press service of the regional government told journalists, Trend reports citing TASS.
"As of 19:00 local time on October 10, the number of people poisoner by counterfeit alcohol has grown to 67, thirty-four of them have died. Twenty-four people are in hospitals, with 11 of them being in satisfactory condition, six being about to be released, seven being in serious condition and four connected to ventilators. Nine people are receiving outpatient treatment," it said.
Meanwhile, the region’s health minister, Tatiana Savinova, said that half of those killed by counterfeit alcohol had died before they could get medical assistance. "Fifty percent of those dead had died before medics arrived. Ninety-four percent of those taken to hospital died during the first 24 hours. Thirty-eight percent of the patients have methanol in their blood," she wrote on the ministry’s Instagram account.
First reports about cases of counterfeit alcohol poisoning came from the region early on October 7. The investigators and police found a warehouse and the production facility, seizing more than 600 liters of alcohol-containing liquid. Six criminal cases were combined into one. Nine suspects have been detained, and eight of them were ruled to remand in custody.