Two British tourists were hospitalised after being mistakenly served a cleaning agent instead of alcohol at a luxury hotel in Gouves, Crete. The incident occurred early Saturday while the group, consisting of five men aged 35 to 69, was partying with bar staff.
The group, which included two British, one German, and two Dutch nationals, had ordered shots of tsikoudia, a traditional Cretan liquor.
However, the bartender reportedly served liquid from a bottle found in the fridge, which was a cleaning detergent. She poured herself a glass as well but didn’t drink it before the hotel guests fell seriously ill.
All five men were rushed to the hospital, with four being intubated and placed on mechanical support at the University Hospital of Heraklion. The fifth person, suffering from swelling in the larynx, was transferred to the ICU at Venizeli Hospital.
Local authorities have launched an investigation, and the hotel manager has been arrested. The liquid has been confiscated for analysis, and initial tests confirmed it was a cleaning detergent. The bar has been closed as the investigation continues, with local health and safety authorities involved in the probe.
