A nursery teacher has been arrested after 25 people died following the consumption of bootleg vodka packaged in 90p in bottles.
According to authorities, they believe she supplied the methanol-laced booze, leading to the harrowing incident.
However, the 25 deaths might only be the start, as more deaths in Russia’s Leningrad location could spread out as more than 1,000 litres of counterfeit alcohol were seized, as per local reports.
Of those who died, elevated levels of methanol were detected in their bodies, sparking fears.
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“Methanol was found in the blood of eight of the deceased,” reported Ostorozhno Novosti after the first initial death.
Nursery schoolteacher Olga Stepanova, 60, has since been arrested over the supply of alcohol, say reports.
She is accused of supplying the moonshine to 78-year-old Nikolai Boytsov, who sold the fake vodka for 90p per bottle.
Sadly, one of the victims is also his wife, who drank the booze.
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Other victims from surrounding villages were named with their last names redacted.
So far, Nadezhda B, 63, Yuri F, 39, Yuri K, 65, Yuri K, Alla L, 53, and Zemfira F, 55 have been confirmed as victims of the poisoned alcohol.
Additionally, three men aged 28, 53, and 55 were detained by officials.
As per Telegram channel Topor, a victim called Yuri Spiridonov, 54, had consumed the alcohol and had ‘crawled to his wife on his knees, declaring he was dying’.
Sadly, ‘a few hours later, he was dead’.
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It added: “That same night, another man died, and then a dozen more. Nineteen deaths have now been confirmed, one person is in intensive care.”
In total, Russian outlets reveal that eight have been arrested for producing and distributing the alcohol, leaving Slantsy and the surrounding area in Leningrad to grieve their loved ones.
After the deaths were revealed, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Maj-Gen Irina Volk confirmed they were doing all they could to find the perpetrators.
“According to experts' conclusions, the cause of death of the local residents was the deadly content of methanol alcohol in the blood,” she said.
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Methanol is impossible to detect by taste and smell alone, as it is tasteless and has only a faint smell. The chemical is a cheap way to cut costs, but knowing the dosage that can cause harm is essential.
Methanol poisoning is a well-known problem with cheap spirits, and according to the NHS, methanol is ‘directly toxic due to its suppressive effect on the central nervous system’.
Its website explains: “Methanol is metabolised by alcohol dehydrogenase to formaldehyde, and then by aldehyde dehydrogenase to formic acid.”
Those who end up with methanol poisoning can go on to experience visual disturbance, with as little as 4 mL of methanol able to cause permanent blindness in consumers.
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30ml can cause ‘ocular toxicity’ in adults, and 60ml is the minimum it would take for a person to die, if consumed.
Symptoms of visual disturbance could happen up to 24 hours later, but from 30 to 120 minutes after ingesting, ‘clinical effects resemble those of mild ethanol inebriation with drowsiness, confusion and irritability’.
Six and 30 hours after drinking, a person may start to experience 'dizziness, drowsiness, vomiting, severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea’.
Britt Jones