TEHRAN – Seventeen distributors of bootleg alcohol have been arrested in southwestern Iran as more than 50 people have reportedly died in two provinces of drinking toxic alcohol thinking that it would prevent coronavirus infection.

During the investigation of the suspects' hideouts, 20,000 liters of industrial and homemade toxic alcohol beverages were discovered, ILNA reported on Wednesday.

Some 40 people in the southwestern province of Khuzestan and 12 people in the northern province of Mazandaran have so far died of drinking bootleg alcohol mistakenly.

Unfortunately, over the past 24 hours, 170 new cases have been hospitalized in Khuzestan province, 95 percent of whom were in Ahvaz city.

This is while, Deputy health minister Kianoush Jahanpour said that COVID-19 has so far infected at least 9,000 people in the country, raising death toll to 354.

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