Sixteen people have died of alcohol poisoning after consuming a bath lotion with alcohol content "Boyarishnik" in the east Siberian city of Irkutsk, the Russian news agency TASS reported on Monday.

"According to our information, at least 16 people have died of alcohol poisoning, one woman did this morning," the investigative committee of Russia was cited as saying.

An additional 16 people are locally hospitalized in grave condition.

The report said all of them got poisoned after consuming the bath lotion marked with the warning that it isn't for drinking.

Poisonings caused by surrogate alcohol are often seen in Russia, but the case in Irkutsk is the deadliest in years.

The investigative committee has started a criminal investigation on it.

source: Xinhua