Toxic alcohol kills 44 in Iran

By Ahmet Dursun

ANKARA (AA) – A total of 44 people have died in Iran in the last 10 days after consuming toxic alcohol, an official said on Tuesday.

The semi-official Fars News Agency quoted Mohammad Javad Moradian, the head of Fars province's Emergencies Center, as saying that 330 people have been poisoned by contaminated alcohol since March 6.

"Until today, 44 people have lost their lives," Moradian said.

The latest fatalities bring the death toll from bootleg alcohol to 159 in recent days amid rumors claiming that drinking alcohol eliminates the coronavirus.

The sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages are prohibited among the Muslim citizens in Iran. Under Iranian law, those who produce, buy or sell alcoholic beverages can be sentenced to imprisonment and lashing.

On Tuesday, Iranian authorities said the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose to 988.

The virus known as COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China last December, and has spread to almost 150 countries and territories.

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic.

Out of over 183,500 confirmed cases, the death toll now exceeds 7,100, while more than 79,900 have recovered, according to Worldometer, a website that compiles new case numbers.

The current number of active cases is more than 96,500, with 94% in mild condition and 6% in critical condition.