Thirty-six Iranians have died of alcohol poisoning after consuming hooch in Ahvaz, after a rumour claiming that drinking alcohol would prevent the coronavirus infection did the rounds, Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday.
The incident took place in Ahvaz, the capital of south-western Khuzestan province.
According to a Dr Ali Ehsanpur, the spokesperson of Ahvaz Jondi Shapur University of Medical Sciences, who spoke to IRNA, over 270 people consumed the alcohol and are being treated. He added that the alcohol consumed could either be moonshine or methanol.
Irna went on to quote Ali Biranvand, deputy public prosecutor of the province, as saying seven individuals had been arrested for selling fake alcoholic drinks.
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