At least six people have died and more than 20 have been hospitalized in Thailand after drinking methanol-laced bootleg alcohol, authorities said today.
The deaths happened mainly in Khlong Sam Wa District on the northwest edge of Bangkok, where authorities found 19 illegal roadside alcohol stands, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said.
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Six people have died at hospital and 22 more were in critical condition this morning, it said in a statement.
"After the drinking, my father said the symptoms reminded him of gas reflux, and next thing he remembered was that he was at the ICU," one of the drinkers' relatives told public broadcaster ThaiPBS.
Thailand has strict alcohol laws, restricting liquor sales to certain hours of the day and banning them on religious holidays.
However, critics say the rules drive a thriving black market for cheap alcohol made in unregulated backstreet distilleries, locally known as "Ya Dong."
Somwang Chaiprakraiwan, the top local official in Khlong Sam Wa District, said authorities had cracked down on illicit alcohol shops in the area.
"Police and the department of excise have arrested and detained them," Somwang said.
Illicit liquor is often spiked with methanol to increase its potency.
If ingested, methanol can cause blindness, liver damage and death.
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