A total of 19 people have died in Ksar El Kebir, a city in northern Morocco, after consuming adulterated alcohol, a recurring scourge in the kingdom, local media reported on Wednesday evening (September 28th), citing a hospital source. .
A 48-year-old suspect was arrested on Tuesday by the police for his alleged involvement in the sale of adulterated alcohol which caused the death of some of his customers, according to a press release from the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).
The victims allegedly consumed contraband alcohol purchased from the suspect's store, according to media reports citing police sources.
During the search of the business, the investigators seized nearly 50 liters of alcohol of this type.
Thirty people hospitalized
Thirty people - aged 35 to 50 - had to be hospitalized in critical condition after this poisoning, and two of them were still in intensive care.
They suffered from headaches, vomiting, stomach cramps and red eyes, a head nurse at Ksar El Kebir hospital told the Le360 news site.
This hospital had received the bodies of nine victims on Tuesday.
The toll then increased to 19 dead on Wednesday, a local health ministry official told reporters.
Their corpses were transferred to a hospital in Tangier, the provincial prefecture, for "an autopsy to clarify the causes of death", he added.
This is not the first time that such a tragedy has occurred in Morocco but also in Tunisia and Algeria.
In July 2021, around 20 people died after drinking adulterated alcohol purchased from a “guerrab” (illegal vendor) in Oujda, eastern Morocco.
In theory, Moroccan law prohibits the sale of alcohol to Muslims, or 99% of the population of Morocco, where Islam is the state religion.
But in fact, it is easily found in bars, restaurants or even in licensed stores that discreetly offer it for sale behind opaque glass or thick curtains.
