At least ten people have died from methanol poisoning after consuming homemade alcohol bought from a market in the Russian resort city of Sochi, authorities have confirmed. The victims, including tourists, unknowingly purchased bootleg alcohol containing deadly methanol, a toxic substance commonly used as fuel or solvent.
Among the dead are Maxim Smetanin, 37, and his wife Darya, 35, who bought the alcohol believing it was grappa. Darya drank small sips on a train journey home and soon went blind before losing consciousness. She died shortly after arriving at hospital. Her husband initially felt fine but later went blind, fell into a coma, and died from kidney failure.
In another incident, three members of a family of four died after consuming a deadly cocktail from a market. All four fell ill, initially attributing it to a hangover, but later lost consciousness. Only one survived. Other victims include a tourist who went blind and died from kidney failure after drinking fake Chacha, and two women who died after returning home.
Following a raid by the national guard, two women, identified only as Olesya, 31, and Eteri, 71, have appeared in a Sochi court suspected of distributing the fake alcohol at the local Kazachiy market. Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk warned the public not to drink alcohol of unknown origin, stating efforts are underway to identify the producer.
Methanol poisoning has become a growing concern as tourists seek cheap alcohol. Similar incidents occurred last year in Laos, where six people, including a British lawyer, died from fake alcohol.
