Siberian alcohol poisoning: Death toll rises to 52

Around 29 more people are in the hospital, some of whom are in a serious condition.

The number of Russians who died after drinking contaminated bath oil rose to 52 from 41, the Irkutsk region’s health ministry said.

The bath oil contained methylated spirit. The product had a warning on its label saying it should not be swallowed, but investigators said people had ignored that and consumed it as if it was alcohol. (Shutterstock photo for representation)

Read: 33 in Siberia die after drinking bath essence for alcoholic kick

Around 29 more people are in the hospital, some of whom are in a serious condition, a spokeswoman for the ministry said.

The poisoning in Irkutsk, a hard scrabble city around 2,600 miles (4,000 km) east of Moscow, is one of the worst such cases in recent years in a country where up to 12 million people use cheap surrogate spirits.