Roommates, over the past few weeks, there have been reports of multiple deaths of tourists traveling in the Dominican Republic. Now, authorities are looking at fake alcohol as the potential cause.
According to the New York Post, officials are conducting an investigation to determine if the seven tourists who mysteriously passed away were poisoned by fake alcohol.
The FBI is reportedly taking blood samples from the victims to be tested in a research center in Quantico, VA. Authorities are working to find out who supplied the alcohol, and if the bottles has any dangerous chemicals in them.
Although the Dominican government insists the deaths are all isolated incidents, the deaths do have some things in common. All of the tourists were reportedly healthy adults, who drank from their hotel mini bar before suddenly becoming deathly ill.
Five American tourists have passed away under mysterious circumstances in Dr this year, and two others died in 2018. There have also been various cases of people becoming ill after drinking from the minibars, but have survived.
According to a forensic science professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, the symptoms seen in the victims were consistent with poisoning from methanol or pesticides; common toxic ingredients in fake liquor.
“Adulterated alcohol is usually methanol added to alcohol or just pain methanol, which is very, very toxic,” Kobilinky said. “It looks to me, from what I’ve heard and read, is that something was added to the drinks or bottles in those little refrigerators.”
In a statement, the Hard Rock hotel insists it only purchases “unopened products from licensed and reputable vendors,” which would leave no room for the products to be poisoned.
We are still praying for the families being affected by these tragic incidents.
