Ecuador Imposes Ban on Alcohol After 21 Die From Contaminated Liquor
Authorities in Ecuador have banned the sale of alcohol after 21 people died from drinking contaminated bootleg liquor.
Police confiscated 28 containers each holding 55 gallons of contaminated alcohol in Los Rios, a coastal province of Ecuador.
The emergency motion implemented a 72-hour national dry law prohibiting the sale of alcohol in order for authorities to locate and discard the deadly methanol-contaminated liquor.
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Sugarcane based, the alcohol is popular in the country and comes from small, homemade distilleries.
Public Health Minister David Chiriboga reports that 103 people have been treated for imbibing contaminated alcohol and urged people to seek help if they were nauseous or vomiting.
Other symptoms included blurred vision, abdominal pain, and difficulty breathing, according to Chiriboga.
Other cases have taken place all over the country, and investigations continue to search for the source of the alcohol. Police have so far made one arrest, Spanish news agency Efe reported.
