At least 48 people have died in the Siberian city of Irkutsk after drinking bath essence, Russian authorities say.
The hawthorn-scented liquid was consumed as if it were alcohol, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.
BBC: Russia bath lotion kills 48 drinkers in Irkutsk
A picture taken in the Russian town of Gdov, 700 km northwest of Moscow, on February 26, 2013, shows a bag with empty vodka bottles. Poisonings with surrogate alcohol are frequent in Russia, where people sometimes drink substances that contain alcohol and are cheaper than alcoholic beverages.
