Eight Slovaks poisoned by alcohol from ČR

Presov, East Slovakia, Sept 16 (CTK) - Eight people have been admitted to hospital with methanol poisoning in east Slovakia, Slovak television TA3 reported yesterday, adding that they drank plum brandy (slivovice) imported from the Czech Republic during a family celebration.

Slovak Health Ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Cizmarikova told the television station that the condition of the people is not serious.

She said they were poisoned with home-made slivovice from the Czech Republic.

"It was a family celebration in which 17 people took party, eight of them have been hospitalised...," Cizmarikova said, adding that tests have confirmed methyl alcohol in the plum brandy.

Slovak authorities have ordered checks in shops and restaurants in reaction to the current series of methanol poisonings in the neighbouring Czech Republic, but no bad alcohol was found.

In the Czech Republic, 20 people have died since September 6 after they drank bootleg alcohol and several tens are in hospital. Some of the survivors have gone blind.

A nationwide ban on the sales and serving of drinks with more than 20 percent of alcohol was introduced in the Czech Republic on Friday evening.