By Enyichukwu Enemanna
At least four persons have been feared dead, while 40 others have landed in the hospital after consumption of poisoned alcoholic drink in southern Tunisia, an official said.
Investigation has been launched while the person who supplied the alcohol has been arrested, AFP quoted Fethi Baccouche, a spokesman for the Medenine court as saying.
The report says a sample of the alcohol is being subjected to analysis to ascertain what was behind the mass poisoning.
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According to Baccouche, some of the surviving 40 victims have been discharged from the hospital while others were transferred to the capital Tunis for treatment.
Poisonings from adulterated alcohol are common in Tunisia like most African countries and often fatal.
In 2021, Tunisian health authorities announced five deaths and the hospitalisation of 25 more in Kasserine in the country’s west after they drank contaminated alcohol, AFP says.
Also in May 2020, 39 people were poisoned, including six who died, after drinking methanol near the city of Kairouan.
