Two Brits were among five people hospitalised after a barmaid mistakenly served cleaning agent instead of alcohol to tourists at a five-star hotel in Crete.
The victims, all aged between 35 and 69, became seriously unwell after consuming the highly acidic detergent in the popular holiday hotspot of Gouves, Heraklion, local media has reported.
The 29-year-old barmaid is understood to have served the tourists, two from the UK and one from Germany, shots of a liquid she found in a glass bottle in the fridge, thinking it was tsikoudia.
She also poured a glass of the Cretan liquor for herself and two other people who worked in the hotel, but did not have time to consume her own drink, it has been reported.
The tourists were rushed to the nearby Venizelio University Hospital by paramedics where they are in a critical condition, medics have said.
Two Brits were among five people hospitalised after a barmaid mistakenly served cleaning agent instead of alcohol to tourists at a five-star hotel in Crete (stock photo of Heraklion harbour)
The 29-year-old barmaid is understood to have served the tourists, two from the UK and one from Germany, shots of a liquid she found in a glass bottle in the fridge, thinking it was tsikoudia
The victims are understood to have been intubated in the hospital’s intensive care unit and are in a serious condition.
An investigation since has been launched into the incident, Greek publication Athens Voice has reported.
Meanwhile the liquid has been confiscated to be checked by authorities but preliminary tests showed it to be a cleaning detergent.
The bar has also been closed while the investigation is carried out and local health and safety authorities have been called in.
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