20th Person Died From Suspected Tainted Alcohol In Costa Rica
Another person has died from apparent methanol poisoning stemming from tainted alcohol in Costa Rica, according to government officials.
Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health confirmed Wednesday that a 20th person has died, bringing the number of total victims deceased and sickened from drinking the tainted alcohol to 41.
ABC News reports:
Officials from the health ministry and law enforcement officers raided alcohol distributor Pinares de Heredia on Wednesday to obtain evidence about possibly tainted alcohol bottled with the label “Aguardiente Estrella Roja.”
During the raid, officials seized wines and liquors that lacked the necessary sanitary registrations or had expired registrations, according to the ministry.
The victims are all Costa Rican residents and ranged in age from 32 to 72, the ministry previously announced.
The brands confiscated in those raids include Guaro Montano, Guaro Gran Apache, Star Welsh, Aguardiente Barón Rojo, Aguardiente Timbuka and Aguardiente Molotov, according to the ministry, which advised residents to avoid drinking them.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State said the agency is not aware of any U.S. citizens affected by the consumption of tainted alcohol. The department has not made any changes to the travel advisory for Costa Rica at this time, the spokesperson said.
The amount of alcohol adulterated with methanol that a person can drink before suffering fatal consequences depends on the concentration as well as the person’s biological makeup, health ministry officials said in a statement last week.
Additional information was not immediately available.
As we previously reported, similar incidents are happening in the Dominican Republic and the FBI is currently investigating. It’s heartbreaking that people are becoming ill and dying at these beautiful islands. Hopefully authorities will get to the bottom of it so that travelers can enjoy these beautiful locations with a peace of mind.
