Prosecutors say one man has died and eight others were hospitalized in connection with the consumption of spiked drinks at a bar in Bavaria.
As reported by the Associated Press on Monday, prosecutors in Germany—including senior prosecutor Gerd Schaefer—have determined that Champagne at the Weiden-set bar in question had been spiked with something that had a “toxic” and “poisonous” effect on the patrons who ingested it on Saturday night.
Per local authorities, a group ordered a bottle of Champagne while at the bar on Saturday night, with the intention of sharing it among the group. Multiple individuals, according to police, were later found on the ground of the establishment “with cramps.” Eight of the affected individuals were ultimately hospitalized, with Monday’s report stating that they were in serious condition. One man, aged 52, died.
“There were things in it that normally are not in Champagne,” Schaefer said of the incident, per AP. “It had a toxic, a poisonous effect.” Schaefer added that toxicological tests had been administered and verified that the substance used in the drinks “was known,” although he did not confirm regional reports speculating on the specifics of the substance.
Meanwhile, a separate ABC News report points out that the 52-year-old victim died shortly after his hospital admittance. Per that report, an autopsy is expected to be carried out soon. Authorities have questioned those who remained hospitalized, and while “negligent homicide” has been mentioned as being suspected, currently available information on the investigation (which remained ongoing at the time of this writing) pointed to the incident not being any sort of targeted attack.
