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Eight die after drinking fake Jack Daniel’s whiskey

Eight Russians have died and more than 20 remain hospitalised after drinking toxic bootleg whiskey labelled as Jack Daniel’s.

The bottles were bought online “for an inadequately low price”

So far, thirty people from the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk have been taken to hospital and eight have died of alcohol poisoning-related injuries.

The counterfeit whiskey is reported to have contained 60% highly toxic methyl alcohol, which can cause blindness or death when consumed.

Krasnoyarsk police have established that the bottles were bought online “for an inadequately low price”, and packaged with “realistic labels” to fool consumers.

Two Russian men, aged 25 and 29, have been arrested by police and under interrogating in a bid to find out who made the bootleg alcohol and whether it had been sent to other Russian cities.

Phil Lynch, director of corporate communications for Jack Daniel’s told Daily Star online: “We are co-operating with the Russian authorities as they investigate this incident. The best way for consumers to protect themselves from such counterfeit product is to buy from reputable retail stores.”

In October, at least 12 people died from drinking bootleg alcohol in Istanbul and dozens more were hospitalised.

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