At least 12 people have died and 40 are hospitalized after being intoxicated after ingesting adulterated alcohol that had been sold without control and without sanitary registration in stores in two Ecuadorian provinces.
Specifically, the Ecuadorian Ministry of Health reported seven deaths in the province of Esmeraldas, in the north of the country, as well as another five deaths in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, 100 km west of Quito, the capital.
In addition, eight people are being treated for poisoning in medical centers in Esmeraldas and 32 others in the province of Santo Domingo, the health ministry said in a statement.
The latest situation report of the Risk Management Department of the Ministry of Health has shown that the last five people admitted in Santo Domingo are not related to the first confirmed cases, which is why they have made a massive appeal to the population to avoid the consumption of alcohol, especially if it is of «dubious origin».
«The risk is that a lot of alcohol is available in stores and homes. We want to alert about the labels ‘Quita Penas’ and ‘Extraneutro’. Be very careful about consuming alcohol of dubious origin,» warned the Ecuadorian Minister of Health, Pepe Ruales, in a letter.
In this sense, Ruales warned that there are «irresponsible people» who have marketed alcohol «illegally, without control and without sanitary registration».
He also pointed out that in five search operations 50,000 liters of this type of liquor have been found thanks to the work of the security forces.
In view of this situation, the health authorities are actively monitoring people who have ingested alcohol and show symptoms such as blurred vision, abdominal pain, nausea, dizziness and loss of consciousness, urging people with these symptoms to go to a medical center.
