Bootleg Alcohol Poisoning Kills 22 in Istanbul

Around 22 people have died in Istanbul, and 16 more have been hospitalized and are in critical condition, according to the local governor's office, as officials stepped up their crackdown on counterfeit drinks across Turkey ahead of the New Year's celebrations.

The Istanbul governor's office said in a statement that eleven of the dead and five of those who became ill were foreign nationals. It didn't much information on the victims' nationalities or provide any other details. According to the announcement, four people have been arrested in connection with the case. 

The state-run Anadolu Agency said on Thursday that 26 individuals had died in nine Turkish provinces, including Istanbul, from methanol alcohol poisoning in the previous four days. According to the article, authorities have initiated a statewide crackdown on bootleg alcohol manufacture, raiding about 300 facilities and collecting thousands of liters of booze. At least 85 people have been arrested.

As it was said, this is not the first time that Turkey reported cases of bootleg poisoning. When the drinks prices go high, people turn to cheap beverages or other alternatives. These illegally produced alcohols tend to make people sick, also leading to deaths. The poor, who cannot do anything about the increased price, end up buying the contaminated liquor.