A woman succumbs to methanol poisoning

A woman died near the north Bohemian town of Semily on Tuesday after ingesting an alcoholic drink containing a lethal amount of methanol. She is considered to be the 48th victim of the methanol poisoning outbreak, which began last September. At least 140 people suffered health problems as a result of methanol poisoning since then. During the first months of the outbreak, when the majority of the fatalities took place, the Czech government temporarily suspended the sale of hard liquor and subsequently introduced stricter legislation on its production and distribution.