33 Dead After Drinking Vodka Alcohol Laced With Methanol

Officials in Russia have confirmed multiple deaths in the country after people drank bootleg alcohol sold for around $1 per bottle and laced with methanol.

In a statement on September 26, the country’s interior ministry said at least seven people had died Russia’s northwest Leningrad region. However, on Saturday, investigators said the death toll rose to 25, the Moscow Times reported. Now, at the time of writing (September 29), the number of deaths has increased again to 33.

According to the Slantsevsky City Court of the Leningrad region, 60-year-old nursery school teacher Olga Stepanova, and Nikolai Boytsov, 78, were both initially arrested in connection with the deaths.

Stepanova has been accused of buying alcohol without a license before repeatedly transporting and selling it to Boytsov, which in turn led to multiple deaths.

During a search of Boytsov’s apartment, authorities reportedly found empty glass bottles and plastic containers with a volume of up to 10 litres. The containers were said to have a characteristic odor of a liquid containing alcohol.

Upon studying the bodies of those who had passed away, they were found to have elevated levels of methanol in their systems.

The regional government said in its initial statement on September 26 that at least eight cases had been ‘laboratory-confirmed as methanol poisoning’, and the following day investigators found the substance in six more bodies.

As the investigation continued, a total of 11 suspects have now reportedly been arrested by the police for home production and distribution of the vodka, which People reports was about 90 proof (or about 45% ABV).

ADVERTISEMENT

Interior Ministry spokeswoman Maj-Gen Irina Volk confirmed a big operation had taken place to track down those responsible, with Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, commenting: “This is an extraordinary accident, a tragedy that has resulted in a large number of casualties. Law enforcement agencies are working.

“This will simply be a reason to more systematically implement our work and pay more attention to this.”

The CDC describes methanol as a colorless, watery liquid which, if ingested, can cause health effects including vomiting, severe abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, coma, seizure, hallucinations and kidney failure.

According to Mount Sinai hospital, just two tablespoons of the substance can be deadly to a child, while about two to eight ounces can be deadly for an adult.

Anyone who has believes they may have consumed methanol should seek medical treatment as soon as possible.

Incidents of mass deaths from counterfeit alcohol are not unusual in Russia, where 50 people died in 2023 after drinking a counterfeit cider drink.