Five die of poisoning in Burdwan, police shuts down liquor stores

The five people died due to poisoning, a senior official of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital said on Friday. However, it is yet to be ascertained whether these people were poisoned because of alcohol.

Burdwan (WB): Five people have died due to poisoning in Burdwan town in West Bengal, an official said on Friday. The deaths triggered panic in the Purba Bardhaman district, which is headquartered here, with the police shutting down all liquor stores.

The five people died due to poisoning, a senior official of Burdwan Medical College and Hospital said. Whether they were poisoned because of alcohol, it is yet to be ascertained, he said. The deceased were identified as Chinmoy Dey (36), Goutam Dey (40), Seikh Halim (41), Sekh Surbati (34) and Bhabani Prasad Sai, he added.

Police, however, confirmed four deaths -- two on Thursday and two on Friday. Superintendent of Police Kamanashis Sen said while two persons were in a drunk state, the families of the other two denied that they consumed liquor. "We will be able to know the exact cause of the deaths after the post-mortems. We have shut all wine shops in the town," he said.

All 134 private and state-run hospitals in the district have been asked to report if patients with similar symptoms are admitted, he added. Locals claimed the five people died after consuming "poisonous" liquor sold illegally at different eateries.

The deaths also triggered a political war of words with the BJP alleging that the administration was trying to suppress the incident. Hitting back, the TMC said the administration was taking all necessary steps but BJP was indulging in politics over deaths. (PTI)