At least 19 dead from alcohol poisoning in Czech Republic

The Czech government issues a nationwide ban on the sale of all spirits containing more than 20% alcohol after at least 19 persons died and 30 hospitalised.

15 September 2012, 12:00am

1 min read

Outlets, including hotels and retaurants, have been banned from selling spirits containing more than 20% alcohol.

The sale of all spirits containing more than 20% alcohol has been banned by the Czech government after 19 people died from alcohol poisoning.

Bootleg vodka and rum are assumed to be the cause of the poisonings after they were discovered to be tainted with the industrial chemical methanol.

The alcohol was being sold cheaply at markets and outdoor kiosks and police have seized 5,000 litres of spirits together with counterfeit labels.

To date, 10 people have been arrested and the exceptional nationwide ban was effective immediately as announced by Health Minister Leos Heger during a television announcement.

This is the worst case of fatal alcohol poisoning in the Czech Republic in 30 years and around 30 people have been hospitalised for treatment of methanol poisoning.

As the number of reported deaths begins to decrease, medical professionals are now focusing on those who survived drinking the alcohol mixed with methanol.

Police are also focusing their attention on finding the location and persons responsible for bottling the high volume alcohol with detectives probing into the possibility of well-organised bootleggers.