A group of seven people have died after they drank hand sanitiser when they ran out of alcohol at a party in Russia.

Two more are in a coma in an intensive care unit.

The incident happened in the Tattinsky district of Yakutia, the largest region in Russia. The hand sanitiser was 69% methanol and has been sold during the pandemic.

A 41-year-old woman, a 27-year-old man and a 59-year-old man were the first three to die before a medical evacuation aircraft flew six others to Yakutsk, the region s capital according to foreign media reports. Three more men died, aged 28, 32 and 69. Another was reported dead subsequently taking the total deaths to seven.

A total of of nine people drank the antiseptic wash widely used to clean hands during the coronavirus pandemic

In a statement, the federal public health watchdog said:  ;Nine cases of poisoning with sanitiser have been registered, including seven that were fatal

According to reports, the party goers drank the sanitiser, which was 69 per cent methanol, when they ran out of alcohol.

A criminal case has been opened, meanwhile local health officials have warned locals not to drink the antiseptic.

Meanwhile, in April more than 700 people died in Iran after ingesting toxic methanol, erroneously thinking it can cure the new coronavirus.