![Health authorities say that a total of 5,011 people had been poisoned from methanol alcohol [File: Ali Khara/Reuters]](https://www.naijaolofofo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/7ad28c2cd3f74517a0bbef578de57f6d_18.jpg "7ad28c2cd3f74517a0bbef578de57f6d_18")
![Health authorities say that a total of 5,011 people had been poisoned from methanol alcohol [File: Ali Khara/Reuters]](http://www.naijaolofofo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/7ad28c2cd3f74517a0bbef578de57f6d_18.jpg)
More than 700 people have died in Iran after ingesting toxic methanol, erroneously thinking it can cure the new coronavirus.
The national coroner’s authority said that alcohol poisoning killed 728 Iranians between February 20 and April 7. Last year there were only 66 deaths from alcohol poisoning, according to the report.
Alcohol poisoning has seen a 10-fold increase in Iran in the past year, according to a government report released earlier in April, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Iranian health ministry spokesman, Kianoush Jahanpour, said 5,011 people had been poisoned from methanol alcohol, adding that some 90 people have lost their eyesight or are suffering eye damage from the alcohol poisoning.
Hossein Hassanian, a health ministry adviser, said the final tally of people who lost their eyesight could be much higher.
Iran is facing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East with 5,806 deaths and more than 91,000 confirmed cases.