Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 9 (ANI): At least 15 people have died following the suspected consumption of spurious liquor in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar district, while patients undergoing treatment are showing improvement, Sagar Collector Pratibha Pal said on Wednesday.
Pal said the administration was also conducting awareness programmes in the affected areas and reaching out to people to prevent further consumption of suspected toxic liquor.
“The condition of all the patients admitted to hospitals is continuously improving. So far, 15 people have died in this incident. We are talking to people and conducting awareness programmes in the area,” the Collector said.
The tragedy was reported from the Banda area of Sagar district after several people allegedly fell ill following consumption of spurious liquor. The administration has been monitoring patients and conducting screening and awareness activities in the affected villages.
A medical treatment involving fomepizole, an antidote used in suspected toxic alcohol poisoning, has also emerged as a crucial intervention in the treatment of several patients. According to officials, the drug has helped save the lives of more than 30 people so far.
Fomepizole is used as an antidote in cases of poisoning involving toxic alcohols such as methanol. Its use can help prevent the formation of toxic metabolites and is an important part of treatment when methanol poisoning is suspected.
Meanwhile, police have intensified their action against those allegedly involved in the supply and distribution of the spurious liquor.
Sagar Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujania said that 16 of the 30 accused named in the case have so far been arrested and sent to jail, while efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused.
“Out of the 30 accused, 16 have been arrested and sent to jail. The search for the remaining accused is continuing,” Sujania said.
The incident has prompted a wider investigation into the suspected illegal liquor supply network in the region. Police have been tracing the source and distribution chain of the liquor allegedly consumed by the victims.
Earlier, authorities had said that the suspected spurious liquor was being investigated for its possible link to a wider illicit liquor network operating across the Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh border.
The administration has also stepped up monitoring in the affected areas and urged people who may have consumed suspected liquor and are experiencing symptoms to immediately seek medical attention.
The district administration has so far maintained the death toll at 15, while nearly 40 people were reported to be undergoing treatment in hospitals, including some in critical condition.
The investigation and search for the remaining accused are underway. (ANI)
Sagar hooch tragedy: 15 dead, patients improving; 16 of 30 accused arrested
