The toll in Kallakurichi hooch tragedy rose to 47 and the condition of at least 30 people is critical, the Tamil Nadu government said on Friday.
The mortal remains of 29 people who died till Thursday were handed over to their relatives and the bodies were either buried or cremated, Kallakurichi District Collector Prasanth MS said.
“A total of 165 people were admitted to the Kallakurichi, JIPMER, Salem and Mundiambakkam government hospitals after consuming spurious liquor.
Of them, 47 have died so far. The condition of 30 among 118 undergoing treatment is critical,” he said.
“A heartening news is that three affected persons have recovered,” the collector said.
Earlier, speaking to reporters after visiting the patients undergoing treatment at the Kallakurichi GH, the Collector said special teams have been formed to prevent the sale of illicit arrack in the district and they have been told to take up intense combing operations.
The administration had sufficient stock of medicines to treat the affected and presently efforts were on in taking door enumeration in Karunapuram on the number of persons who could be affected.
He appealed to those among the public who had consumed illicit liquor to voluntarily subject themselves to medical examination soon and undergo treatment if needed and thus avert possible threat to their lives.
The tragedy was waiting to happen. Locals say Illicit liquor sale was rampant in Kallakurichi. Police failed to take action against the illicit liquor sellers, they said.
Chief minister MK Stalin ordered a commission of inquiry headed by Madras high court retired judge Justice P Gokuldas and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each victim and ₹50,000 to those undergoing treatment.
BJP state unit president K Annamalai urged Union home minister Amit Shah to order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the incident. The state govt, meanwhile, transferred the case to CB-CID.
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