Bhavnagar Spurious Liquor Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 13 as Two More Succumb in Gujarat
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The death toll in the Bhavnagar spurious liquor tragedy reached 13 on Sunday after two more victims, including a bank employee and a youth from Mahisagar, succumbed during treatment.
Across hospitals in Gujarat, 61 people have fallen ill after consuming the toxic brew, with 10 remaining in critical condition under continuous medical supervision.
Fatal Brew Claims Bank Worker and Mahisagar Resident
The latest fatalities were identified as Mukesh Damor, a native of Mahisagar district, and Bhargava Upadhyay, a resident of Sagwadi in the Kaliyabid area of Bhavnagar.
Damor was undergoing treatment at Sir T. Hospital in Bhavnagar, where his health sharply deteriorated, prompting a transfer to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where he later died. Upadhyay, who worked at a private bank, passed away while undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
These deaths follow the loss of three victims a day earlier on August 22, including Sanjay Singh Dodia, who was declared brain-dead and transferred from Bhavnagar to Surat before passing away.
Key Suspect Remanded as Police Crack Down
Law enforcement authorities have intensified their crackdown, registering cases against 21 individuals. Cyber and local police teams have arrested 13 key accused, sending them to jail while forming special units to track down eight absconding suspects.
The primary accused, identified as Raish, was produced before the court by the State Monitoring Cell (SMC) under tight security. The court granted police a remand until August 31 to interrogate him. SMC investigators are working to trace the supply chain of the poisonous liquor, uncover the patrons behind the illicit trade, and identify high-profile figures linked to the network.
Toxic Methanol Triggers Severe Health Crisis
Medical experts highlight that spurious liquor tragedies usually stem from the addition of methanol, an industrial chemical instead of or alongside drinkable ethanol. Once ingested, methanol metabolises into dangerous toxins that target the brain and optic nerves, leading to blindness, coma, or fatal organ failure.
The tragedy has raised memories of the devastating 2022 Botad-Dhandhuka illicit liquor scandal in Gujarat, where forensic tests revealed the consumed liquid contained between 98.71% and 98.99% pure methanol.
