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Black-market alcohol kills seven in Cuba

 

Agency
Thursday 01 August 2013 18:14 BST
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Seven people have died of poisoning after drinking black-market methyl alcohol and 41 others remain in hospital.

The health ministry said numerous people began showing up at Havana emergency departments on Monday exhibiting symptoms of “serious poisoning”.

They were found to have drunk methyl alcohol, also called methanol or “wood alcohol”. The toxic chemical is used in laboratories, and drinking it can cause death or permanent blindness.

The victims bought the deadly alcohol from a black-market merchant who procured it from two pharmaceutical employees.

AP

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