British tourists hospitalized after bartender serves cleaning fluid in Crete

Five men were hospitalized after being served a cleaning agent instead of alcohol at a luxury hotel in Gouves, Crete, on Saturday. According to a report on Metro UK, the group, which included two British, one German, and two Dutch nationals, fell seriously ill moments after taking shots of the substance, believed to be a detergent.

The men, aged between 35 and 69, were drinking with bar staff when they ordered shots of tsikoudia, a traditional Cretan liquor. The bartender reportedly poured liquid from a bottle she found in the fridge, mistakenly serving a cleaning agent. Though she poured a glass for herself, she did not drink it before the guests began to feel unwell.

All five were rushed to the hospital, with four of them intubated and receiving mechanical support at the University Hospital of Heraklion. The fifth man, suffering from swelling in his larynx, was placed in the ICU at Venizelion Hospital.

Local authorities have confiscated the liquid for further testing, confirming early suspicions that it was a cleaning detergent. The hotel manager has been arrested as police continue to investigate the incident. The bar has been shut down, and local health and safety officials have been called to inspect the premises.

[Information sourced from Metro UK]