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BANGKOK: At least six people have died and more than 20 have been hospitalized after drinking illegal liquor laced with methanol, Thai authorities said on Wednesday (Aug 28).
The government in the Thai capital said the deaths occurred mainly in the Khlong Sam Wa district on Bangkok’s northwestern edge, where authorities found 19 illegal roadside liquor stands.
Six people had died in hospitals on Wednesday morning and 22 others were in critical condition, the Bangkok Metropolitan Government said in a statement.
“My father said after drinking the symptoms reminded him of gas reflux and the next thing he remembered was he was in the intensive care unit,” a relative of a drinker told public broadcaster ThaiPBS.
Thailand is a Buddhist country and the government has strict regulations on alcoholic beverages, limiting alcohol sales to certain times of the day and prohibiting alcohol sales during religious holidays.
But critics say the rules have fueled a thriving black market of distilleries, known to local residents as “yadong,” that churn out cheap alcohol.
Somwang Chaiprakraiwan, the top district official in Khlong Sam Wa district, said authorities had cracked down on illegal liquor shops in the area.
“Police and the Excise Department have arrested and detained them,” Somwang told AFP.
Methanol, which is often added to illegal alcohol to enhance its potency, can cause blindness, liver damage and even death if ingested.
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