Iranian officials have outlined that eight people have died while 51 people have been hospitalised from alcohol poisoning after drinking homemade concoctions in the Iranian city of Bandar Abbas.

Of those 51 people, 17 remain in critical condition in intensive care, while another 30 were undergoing dialysis to clear their systems.

However, it was not disclosed what caused the poisoning in the homemade drinks, but in recent years many Iranians have died after drinking illicit alcohol-containing lethal amounts of methanol, which can cause blindness or death if ingested.

In addition, Methanol poisonings rose sharply in Iran since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic after rumors spread that alcohol consumption could prevent infection.

Furthermore, The Health Ministry also announced in April 2020 that some 500 people had died and a further 5,000 were treated for alcohol poisoning over just three months.