“They came to doctors too late. … Only a miracle can save them.” Those were the words to the Siberian Times from the Irkutsk region’s health minister, Oleg Yaroshenko.
Yaroshenko went on to say that of the surviving 37 people, almost half have no chance of survival after drinking the bath lotion or bath oil, masquerading as a safe alcoholic drink called Hawthorn. The BBC is reporting that local media is calling the mass poisoning “the worst such case in modern Russian history”.
Many household products are seen as a cheap substitute for alcohol across Russia, and the black market mixture was labeled as containing ethanol. Many of the victims were between 25 and 50 years of age. While many died after reaching the hospital, others were found dead in their homes.
Methanol is a chemical that is highly poisonous. When consumed, the body first metabolizes it into formaldehyde, and then into a chemical called formic acid, reports Live Science. The formation of formic acid is a slower process and this can cause formic acid to build up in the body.
Methanol poisoning can cause an array of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, breathing problems, dizziness, blindness, coma and death. The CDC says as little as one tablespoon of methanol can kill you.
Police in Irkutsk have found the shop where the black market mixture was being made. The owners of the shop have been arrested.
