At least nine people have died and several others have been hospitalized in Tanzania's main city Dar es Salaam after consuming illicit alcohol.

According to local authorities, the liquor contained an industrial chemical called 'GV' Gentian violet, an antiseptic dye normally used to treat infections of the skin, which is suspected to have caused the deaths.

While local brews are usually made using seeds, grains or vegetables in homes, some brewers are believed to be including deadly chemicals in an attempt to make the liquor more concentrated and attract more customers.


Reports have it that the local drink, gongo, is consumed more than any other liquor because it is cheaper than commercial brews.