152 people have now died, reports the state-controlled Turkish Anatolia. Many of the deaths have occurred in Istanbul and in the capital Ankara.
According to the news agency's sources, nearly 1,000 people have been arrested for links to the production and sale of the illegal alcohol. Over 445,000 liters of spirits have been seized.
Home-brewed and other illegally manufactured spirits – often containing methanol – have become increasingly common in Turkey since the authorities raised the alcohol tax. Methanol, also known as wood spirit, can cause liver damage, blindness, and in the worst case, death.
