Libya's Health Minister says 51 people have died over the past three days from drinking homemade alcohol that contained poisonous methanol.

Minister Nouri Doghman says another 330 people were injured from the alcohol since Saturday.

He said Monday that some were blinded, while others went into comas or suffered kidney failure.

He says the dead range in age from 19 to 50 years old, and that Algerians and Tunisians are among the dead.

The sale and consumption of alcohol is banned in the conservative North African country. Like illegal drugs elsewhere, some Libyans turn to black market dealers to buy alcohol, which is often cooked in people's homes or deserted farms.

The ministry says it is investigating the case.