Kallakurichi Hooch Tragedy: 50 People Dead, 27 Still Critical, 115 Under Treatment For Consuming Moonshine

In the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, reported in the northern Tamil Nadu, the death toll has risen to 50. District administration said that at 27 more are critical, among 115 still being treated in the government hospitals. Kallakurichi government hospital has handed over 29 bodies.

Chennai:Fifty persons had lost their lives in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy and the condition of at least 27 people is critical, officials said on Friday.

Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday said the state government will take care of the entire education and hostel expenses of children who have lost either one or both of their parents in the Kallakuruchi hooch tragedy. Speaking in the Assembly today, the CM termed it as a 'painful' incident, and offered condolences to the families of the victims.

Stalin said, "The government will provide Rs 5000 monthly assistance until age of 18 for children who have lost both their parents and Rs 5 lakh will be deposited immediately as a fixed deposit in the names of children who have lost both parents."

Kallakurichi District Collector MS Prasanth said bodies of 29 people who succumbed to the effects of the illicit liquor consumption in the district government hospital were handed over to their relatives. The families have carried out the last rites, the Collector added.

Earlier in the day, he said the total intake of hooch affected at the hospitals was 165. He said the affected were admitted in the government hospitals in Kallakurichi, Salem and Mundiyampakkam. Some of them were admitted to JIPMER in neighbouring Puducherry.

The condition of 27 among 115 under treatment is critical. The official said three of the affected have recovered.

He added that the health department had ensured adequate stock of drugs for treatment, while door-step enumeration for any affected was underway in Karunapuram locality. He also appealed to those among the public who had consumed illicit liquor to voluntarily disclose it and get themselves examined. It will help the treatment and avert the possible threat to their lives, if any.

AIADMK MLAs Evicted

The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed a dramatic eviction of AIADMK lawmakers after they created ruckus, seeking suspension of 'Question Hour' and taking the 'calling attention motion' on the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.

The AIADMK MLAs, led by Leader of the Opposition and party general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami, were up on their feet. The AIADMK MLAs raised anti-government slogans and urged that the matter be debated right. They were also seen raising slogans.

The moonshine deaths that shook the conscience of the state has prompted the Opposition and the DMK allies questioning how the government allowed the sale of illicit liquor.

Last year, a twin hooch tragedy in the neighbouring Villupuram district had claimed 22 lives.

Arrests Made in the Case

Chinnadurai, the primary suspect in the Hooch catastrophe, has been arrested by the Cuddalore-based CB CID unit. He was the one who manufactured the spurious liquor, the investigations revealed.

Three individuals, including a couple, Kannukutty alias Govindaraj, his wife Vijaya and Damodaran had been arrested earlier on charges of selling illicit liquor. They were found in possession of about 200 litres of alcohol. Tests showed that it had been combined with methanol. The source of the methanol is being investigated by the police.

Grief Looms Heavy in Area

A pall of gloom has descended on Karunapuram, which is just a call away from Kallakurichi town bus station. Passing through the streets, one can presently hear only the wails and cries of the family members of the hooch victims.

Among the deceased is Paramasivan, a 37-year-old labourer. His brother Udayakumar while talking to ETV Bharat said, "Our brother is not married, he is a labourer and drinks spurious liquor every day after work. Yesterday, he suffered a stomach ache and was admitted to the hospital." He died not responding to the treatment.

Ramakrishnan's wife from Karunapuram arrived at the hospital, screaming in the middle of the night, saying, "We are from a poor family. We can survive only if we work every day. I had gone to work in school and my husband had fallen ill from drinking liquor by the time I returned."

Two deaths in one family

Lakshmi, who was crying at the hospital premises, said both her mother Kala and father Ravi had been admitted to the hospital, but she could not find them even after searching the entire hospital. Lakshmi said the doctors finally confirmed that both of them had died when she showed them photographs of her parents.

Most of the victims were taken to the hospital by their relatives after they complained of vision loss and severe stomach ache.

Suresh from Karunapuram was the first to die after drinking liquor.

He drank spurious liquor on the evening of June 18 and then again on the morning of June 19. He died sometime later. 38 bodies were cremated on the banks of Gomuki river.