Three die from toxic alcohol in Keuruu

Two others who consumed drinks laced with windscreen washer fluid end up in hospital

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Three individuals in the district of Haapamäki in the Central Finland town of Keuruu have died of poisoning caused by toxic spirits. The victims were two women aged 32 and 26, and a 61-year-old man.
     
The deaths occurred between Sunday and Tuesday. According to the police, the party is suspected of having consumed methanol originating from windscreen washer fluid in an apartment on Louhentie in Haapamäki.
      One of the victims, who was the owner of the flat, died in the residence and the other two later elsewhere.
      According to the police, at least three other people also consumed the same substance. Two of them are being treated in a hospital and one is being monitored. Their conditions are not life-threatening.
      The Keuruu police request that possible other individuals, who may have been in the apartment and who may have consumed the same toxic cocktail, seek to get checked out by medical professionals.
     
Methanol is an extremely poisonous colourless fluid, which converts into formaldehyde and formic acid inside the human body. For example windscreen washer fluids and antifreeze contain methanol.
      Methanol is believed to be behind around 40 deaths in Finland each year. It also easily causes blindness.
     
In the eastern city of Kajaani, a black-market liquor bottle that contained methanol caused a man to go blind in March.
      In late January a 15-year-old boy also from Kajaani died after having consumed a beverage containing methanol.
      Three men died in the Western town of Kauhava in December 2006 after having drunk moonshine laced with vehicle antifreeze. Three others suffered from serious poisoning symptoms.
      In 2003 a man in Pori died and two men in Tampere were taken into intensive care after having drunk toxic spirits.
      A woman who had consumed drinks laced with windscreen washer fluid in Pernaja died in Loviisa in 2001.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Three killed, several more suffer poisoning from tainted alcohol (5.1.2007)

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