Sagar Spurious Liquor Tragedy: Death Toll Jumps To 22, 112 Hospitalised; Methanol Suspected In Illicit Liquor

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The death toll of Sagar spurious liquor had increased to 22, whereas the government claims only 13 deaths. As many as 112 people are admitted in different hospitals of Sagar district. The deceased also include a woman.

Many of those who fell ill complained of blurred vision and dizziness.

Among the 112 people admitted in various hospitals of the district, more than 20 affected people are having blue patches on their bodies.

The latest victim died in the afternoon. All those who died were men aged mainly between 30 and 50.

“The postmortems of the deceased point to suspected poisoning. We have sent the viscera for testing for more details,” an officer said.

Asked about reports pegging death toll to 22 in the hooch tragedy, it is said that they have go by the book and postmortem report.

Seven to eight patients were admitted to Banda Civil Hospital, around 70 at Bundelkhand Medical College and Hospital (BMCH), 17 at the district hospital, officials said, adding that two dozen people were discharged earlier in the day.

The condition has improved leaps and bounds compared to Sunday when the hospitals were overwhelmed with hordes of people and the doctors and paramedics running hither and thither.

The police have also registered case against 30 people into the incident and had arrested 14 suspects of the case.

Magisterial enquiry

Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda speaking to mediapersons said that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has announced the ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the bereaved families.

He also claimed that the government will not going to spare any of the racketeers involved in the case.

He also said that the Sagar collector has instituted magisterial enquiry into the incident.

Methanol suspected

Asked about the suspected cause of deaths, the doctor said the liquor may have been laced with methanol instead of ethanol.

“Methanol, we are taught causes blurred vision. Most of those who came to us, including those who died, complained of blurred vision. Some others came gasping for breath,” the doctor said, adding that some patients responded to fluids and began passing urine.

14 arrested in three FIRs

Police have arrested 14 of the 30 people named as suspects in three FIRs registered in connection with the tragedy, said Sagar Range deputy inspector general of police Shashindra Chouhan.

Sagar collector Pratibha Pal said on Sunday that a preliminary investigation indicated that the liquor had been supplied from Lalitpur.

“There is a gang in Lalitpur that supplies this kind of poisonous liquor. Since this area is adjacent to Uttar Pradesh, this has come to light in the preliminary investigation,” she had said.

But on Monday, the UP Excise department of Lalitpur issued a note in which it was claimed that, in the Sagar hooch tragedy their is not connection of UP.

It also stated that those whoever are named in the case are the resident of Banda and they were active in the area and they are not having any of the connection with the state UP.

Congress claims

Leader of Opposition claims that in the incident 19 people had lost their lives and the state government is trying to hide the facts.

Similarly, Congress state president Jitu Patwari claimed that around 50 people had died in the incident and the state government shall accept the fact.

Sagar Hooch Tragedy

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