Iran says 10 dead after consuming tainted booze at party

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iranian state media says 10 people died after drinking home-made liquor made with methanol at a party. The Tuesay report came as the number of such deaths increases in the Islamic Republic. Dozens of people were reportedly hospitalized last week after drinking the tainted booze at a party in Alborz province, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the capital Tehran, the IRNA news agency reported. Besides the fatalities, more than 140 partygoers were sickened, including four who were in critical condition, officials said. Since 1979, when Iran banned the production and consumption of alcoholic beverages, methanol is often added to home-made brews as a cheaper alternative to ethanol, the alcohol that can be consumed.