At Least 11 People Dead and 10 in ICU After Drinking Alcoholic Cocktail

At least 11 people are dead after allegedly consuming a deadly mix of adulterated alcohol.

The “cochoco” — which is made up of ethyl alcohol, methanol and other substances — was sold to homeless people and street vendors on the streets of Barranquilla, Colombia, according to the Agence France-Presse and local news outlet Vanguardia Liberal.

Police believe that the liquor was produced in “deplorable,” unsanitary conditions, per AFP. They are investigating claims that the liquor was distributed by a man on a motorcycle, El Tiempo reported.

Brigadier General Edwin Urrego, commander of the Metropolitan Police, initially told local outlets that seven people had been found dead as a result of consuming the tainted liquor. He noted that three were found dead in public places and four died in medical centers.

“At the scene, we found two jerry cans and bottle remains in extremely poor sanitary conditions. Three of the deceased didn’t even make it to a hospital, as they died in the street,” he said, per Vanduardia Liberal.

That number has since gone up to 11, El Tiempo reported on Sept. 25, citing the latest report from the District Health Secretariat. In total, 25 people — including the 11 deceased — have been affected so far, per the outlet.

Ever Carabello, the nephew of one of the people who died, told AFP that his uncle consumed cochoco “every day,” and added to the outlet, “honestly, we never thought this would happen to him.”

At least 20 people have been treated so far at district hospitals, according to El Tiempo. Ten people remain in nearby hospital ICUs, while three are under observation at the hospital as a result of drinking the liquor. One person has reportedly been discharged from the hospital.

Methanol, a highly toxic industrial solvent that can lead to death, was found in samples taken from a deceased person and one in the ICU, per El Tiempo. 

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Several health agencies around the world have warned against drinking adulterated alcohol, as toxic levels of methanol can be “deliberately added to alcoholic beverages” as “a cheaper alternative to producing ethanol,” per the Methanol Institute.

Colombian officials are continuing their investigation into the incident.

“We will continue working on prevention, educational, and inspection, surveillance, and control actions for regular and irregular establishments,” Colombia Health Secretary Stephanie Araújo said in a translated statement on El Tiempo.