Seven people have passed away while another two are reportedly in a coma after they drank hand sanitiser at a party in Russia.

It appears that the lot had ran out of alcohol and decided that hand sanitiser could be a substitute.

And just in case it hasn't been abundantly clear: Alcohol-based hand sanitiser is not a substitute for alcoholic beverages.

The party in question was held in Tomtor village in the district of Tattinsky, Yakutia, according to Metro.

The first three victims were a 41-year-old woman and two men aged 59 and 28. They passed away on November 19.

The next day, another three more male victims — aged 28, 32, and 69 — passed away. The latest victim passed away on November 21.

The remaining two partygoers who drank the hand sanitiser, which contained 69 per cent methanol, were last reported to be in the intensive care unit.

Affects brain activity, causes death

This isn't the first time people have ingested hand sanitiser in lieu of alcohol.

From May 1 to June 30 this year, 15 people in Arizona and New Mexico in the U.S. were treated for poisoning after they swallowed alcohol-based hand sanitiser, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Ingesting hand sanitiser containing methanol can cause methanol poisoning.

Symptoms of methanol poisoning include nausea, vomiting, blurry vision, and abdominal pain. The methanol can affect the central nervous system, causing a slowdown in brain activity.

If left untreated, patients may go into a coma, encounter respiratory or circulatory failure, and even death.

Top images via LadBible.