QUITO, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Five people have died in Ecuador due to methyl alcohol poisoning after 25 people fell ill Tuesday in two provinces after drinking bootleg liquor, the Public Health Ministry said Wednesday.

Three people died in the coastal province of Esmeraldas and two in the province of Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas, while the rest of the victims remain under observation, the ministry said in a statement.

"The Health Ministry has activated an alert so that Integral Health Network facilities that receive patients with symptoms of possible adulterated alcohol poisoning report immediately to the health authority for corresponding analyses," it said.

The ministry added that in coordination with other institutions and the National Regulatory, Control and Health Surveillance Agency, it is working to prevent bootleg alcohol from reaching the population.

Anyone with symptoms of methyl alcohol poisoning, such as headache, blurred vision, nausea or an altered state of consciousness, is urged to visit the nearest health center immediately, the ministry said.