Alcohol poisoning kills dozens of people in Iran

TEHRAN, Iran — At least 26 people died in Iran after drinking alcoholic beverages that contained toxic methanol in recent days, state media said.

The official IRNA news agency reported late Wednesday that toxic methanol had killed men and women in various cities and towns in the northern provinces of Mazandaran and Gilan and the western province of Hamadan.

Alcohol poisoning also led to hundreds of hospitalizations, IRNA said.

The source of the alcoholic beverages was not clear in the reports.

The consumption of alcohol has been generally prohibited in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution brought hardline Islamists to power.

Many Iranians buy alcoholic drinks from bootleggers who make them secretly. Some people also make alcohol at home for personal consumption. Methanol can contaminate traditionally fermented alcohol.

Alcohol poisonings have skyrocketed in Iran in recent years. In 2020, toxic alcohol killed more than 700 people in the country.

Both imported and locally made alcoholic beverages are available on the country’s black markets.

Iran has dozens of alcohol factories that make pharmaceutical and cleaning products.