Eight Dead,12 Hospitalised, Sagar Liquor Shortcut Ends in Tragedy

At least eight people have died and more than 12 others have been hospitalised after allegedly consuming illicit liquor in Baraj village of Madhya Pradesh Sagar district late Saturday night, prompting the district administration to order a magisterial inquiry. According to police, a group of villagers consumed liquor on Saturday night and began experiencing symptoms including nausea and vomiting shortly afterwards. They were taken to hospital, where five people were initially declared dead. Sagar Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Devesh Pateria said the number of deaths reported so far could be between eight and 10, while medical teams were deployed across three villages identified as hotspots in the suspected illicit-liquor poisoning. The health department has stationed teams of doctors and nurses in the affected villages. The teams have been conducting door-to-door screening to identify residents who may have fallen ill after consuming liquor. Patients requiring immediate treatment are being stabilised at local facilities before being referred to higher medical centres, Pateria said. The emergency response intensified after patients began arriving at the casualty ward in Sagar. Pateria recalled that one patient reached the hospital in critical condition at around 7 pm on Saturday, but doctors were unable to revive him. The symptoms reported among several patients have raised concerns about possible alcohol poisoning. However, health authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause. Looking at the symptoms, it could be methyl alcohol poisoning. We cannot say that with certainty at this stage, Pateria said. About 25 patients have so far been referred to higher medical centres, according to the health official. Some patients were transferred after being stabilised locally because they required specialised treatment unavailable at the local hospital. We are stabilising patients here and then referring them because they may require further treatment at a higher centre, Pateria said. Medical teams worked through the night and continued their operations on Sunday. Authorities said the number of affected people could change as screening teams reach more households in the three villages. It may increase or it may not. We have been making continuous efforts since the morning. In fact, we reached here last night itself and have kept the response going, Pateria said. The district administration has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Meanwhile, health officials are continuing door to door screening and medical assessments while authorities investigate the source of the liquor and the circumstances surrounding the deaths. The suspected link to illicit liquor and possible methyl alcohol poisoning remains under investigation, and the final cause of death will depend on medical findings and other evidence collected by the authorities.