Bootleg alcohol in Istanbul has killed 23 people in 48 hours, officials say

Twenty-three people in Istanbul have died in 48 hours after drinking tainted alcohol, authorities said Wednesday.

At least 43 others were hospitalized — 32 of them in intensive care — Turkish officials said. Since the start of the new year, they said a total of 34 people have died from the effects of bootleg alcohol. Alcohol tainted with methanol is thought to be the cause.

Methanol is a substance that's often added to alcohol to increase its potency. It's often used in illegally produced products instead of ethanol because it's cheaper, according to a study which looked at illegally produced alcohol in southern Turkey, and it can cause blindness, liver damage and death.