Cider Poisoning Death Toll In Russia's Ulyanovsk Region Rises To 18 - Health Ministry

Cider Poisoning Death Toll in Russia's Ulyanovsk Region Rises to 18 - Health Ministry

SARATOV (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th June, 2023) Another two people have died after getting poisoned by surrogate alcohol in western Russia's Ulyanovsk Region, with the total death toll there now standing at 18, the regional health ministry said on Tuesday.

The Russian Investigative Committee (IC) said on Monday that it opened criminal cases after 16 people died of poisoning in the Ulyanovsk Region and two in the neighboring Samara region, including dozens of people hospitalized across the country. The IC said that people got poisoned by the Mister Sidr ("Mr. Cider") drink produced in the Samara Region.

"From June 4-6, 51 cases of poisoning by alcohol-containing drink have been recorded in the region ... In 18 cases, the poisoning resulted in death," the ministry stated.

Later in the day, the Samara Region Health Ministry said that the number of people poisoned by the Mister Sidr drink has reached 14, with 11 people in serious condition. Those poisoned by the cider experienced nausea, vomiting, increased or low blood pressure and blurred vision, the ministry added.

Anna Popova, the head of Russian consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said on Monday that she instructed all regional departments to find and take out of circulation all Mister Sidr products. Police in the Samara Region said that they detained a truck with a delivery invoice for 18,000 liters of alcoholic beverages under the Mister Sidr brand and a search was being carried out at the address of the warehouse indicated in the documents.