The regional health ministry on Tuesday said two people have died after getting poisoned by surrogate alcohol in western Russia’s Ulyanovsk Region, bringing the total death toll to 18.

On Monday, the Russian Investigative Committee opened criminal cases after 16 people died of poisoning in the Ulyanovsk Region and two in the neighbouring Samara region, including dozens of people hospitalized across the country.

The IC said people got poisoned by the Mister Sidr (‘Mr Cider’) drink produced in the Samara Region.

“From June 4 to 6, 51 cases of poisoning by alcohol-containing drink have been recorded in the region with 18 cases resulting in death by the poison,” the ministry stated.

The Samara Region Health Ministry added that the number of people poisoned by the Mister Sidr drink had reached 14, with 11 people in serious condition.

The ministry explained that those poisoned by the cider experienced nausea, vomiting, increased or low blood pressure and blurred vision.

Anna Popova, the head of Russian consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said on Monday that she instructed all regional departments to find and take all Mister Sidr products out of circulation.

Police in the Samara Region said that they detained a truck with a delivery invoice for 18,000 litres of alcoholic beverages under the Mister Sidr brand, and a search was being carried out at the address of the warehouse indicated in the documents. 

(Sputnik/NAN)