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Number of people poisoned with new drugs reaches 180 in western Siberia

YEKATERINBURG, September 29. /ITAR-TASS/. The number of people poisoned with an unknown psychoactive substance has reached 180 in the city of Surgut and Surgut district in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, located on the Ob River near its junction with the Irtysh River in the central part of Western Siberia, the prosecutor’s senior aide for relations with media in the autonomous region told ITAR-TASS on Monday.

“At present,the number of people who died of a designer drug of unknown origin reached seven, and 180 more got poisoned with it. Most drug-poisoned people were taken to the Surgut district hospital and a psycho-neurological outpatient clinic,” Inga Snatkina said.

Experts from the main Ural city of Yekaterinburg are probing the origin of the psychoactive substance and are examining its formula, she said. Results of the expertise should be ready in early October.

Six residents of Surgut and Surgut district aged from 18 to 35 died after the use of the unknown substance bought in the city from September 19 to 24, Russia's Investigative Committee said.