Story By: Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
The death toll in Romania of people who died after drinking an alcohol-based hand sanitiser containing methanol instead of ethanol has now risen to 16.
Yet incredibly, one of those who drank more than those that died, consuming an entire bottle on his own, has survived and is now telling local media that God looked after him.
Reports have also revealed that the number of fatalities could be much higher, and hospital doctors across the country are on the lookout for patients with symptoms of methanol poisoning.
Thousands of bottles of the hand disinfectant were produced by a company in the capital Bucharest and sold to a wholesaler who distributed them to local councils and private individuals as an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
But many people who were sent the gift by the council or have purchased it themselves decided to drink it after realising that was alcohol-based, not realising that methanol, unlike ethanol, is highly toxic when drunk.
Police say it is illegal to be used in a hand sanitiser, and have arrested the people who set up the company. Ali Dawoud and Fuad Ahmmed have been remanded in custody on charges of manslaughter and fraud. The third suspect, Dawoud’s son, turned himself over to the police after initially escaping, according to reports. The ages of all 3 were not revealed.
Methanol, which is highly toxic, is more normally used as antifreeze or in windscreen wiper fluid and as a disinfectant for the hands.
Those that died lived in the Romanian counties of Iasi and Botosani which were both places were local people had been given free bottles by local councils hoping to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic. In one case the local mayor was so horrified that he went round personally to collect the bottles back from residents to prevent further tragedy.
But medics are baffled as to why one person that drink the entire bottle appeared to escape unharmed after he drank far more than some of those who died, and who claimed he believed God was looking after him.
Teodor Sasu, 58, admitted that he was lucky to survive after drinking half a litre of the spirit diluted with water. Overall, he said he drank four litres of the diluted toxic liquid.
He told local media: “They gave me a bottle of alcohol and several protective items for the pandemic at the City Hall.”
Teodor said that when he ran out of brandy, he had come up with the idea of diluting the half-litre bottle of sanitizer with water to make four litres of beverage, which he drank in a 24-hour period, according to reports. Some reports have suggested that the alcohol in the brandy might have negated the effects of the methanol.
After receiving medical treatment, Teodor told local media that he will make sure he never drinks methyl alcohol again and warned others not to make the same mistake he did.
The investigation is ongoing.
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