Brief: Fake whiskey hospitalises 22 people in China

A fake version of a brand of Chinese whisky has left 22 people in China in hospital, including four in intensive care.

The knock-off whisky carried labels claiming it was produced by Weiyade Wine Company, a manufacturer in Penglai, Shandong province, and was consumed by customers attending a bar called Muse in Heyuan, Guangdong province, according to a Sixth Tone report.

Analyses revealed two bottles of flavoured whisky with high levels of toxic methanol, which can cause a range of symptoms from sickness and vomiting and abdominal pain to kidney or liver problems, coma, irreversible blindness and death. Three of the victims in the latest case went into coma, according to a Heyuan police statement.

Four people have been detained in connection with the incident, including the bar’s manager and supplier, and 190 boxes of alcoholic drinks seized.