Russia: 25 Dead from Bootleg Alcohol in Leningrad Oblast

The death toll from fatal poisonings due to the consumption of bootleg alcohol in northwestern Russia has exceeded 25 deaths since the beginning of September, according to local authorities.

The Investigative Committee of Russia announced that autopsies on six people found dead in the Volosovsky district showed elevated or lethal levels of methanol.

Authorities had already reported 19 deaths in the Slantsevsky district. Three suspects have been arrested, including two men aged 60 and 70 years, who allegedly sold the bootleg alcohol to the victims.