In a tragic incident in Tamil Nadu’s Kallakurichi district, the death toll from consuming toxic liquor rose to 34 as of Thursday morning. Around 100 people are in the hospital, with 5 in critical condition. These people drank the spurious liquor in Karunapuram on Tuesday night. By Wednesday, many were admitted to hospitals in Kallakurichi, Salem, Villupuram, and Puducherry.
Among the deceased are two women and a trans person. Several people died on Wednesday night. Some sources suggest that the official death toll might be understated as some people may have died before receiving any medical help.
Kallakurichi District Collector M S Prasanth visited the hospitalized victims, offering support and closely monitoring their treatment.
Government Response
Chief Minister M K Stalin expressed his deep sorrow and called for swift justice. “I was shocked and saddened to hear the news of the deaths of people who had consumed adulterated liquor in Kallakurichi. Those involved in the crime have been arrested. Action has also been taken against officials who failed to prevent it,” Stalin said in a statement. He advised the public to report any knowledge of illegal alcohol operations, promising immediate action and severe penalties for those responsible. “Such crimes that ruin society will be suppressed with an iron fist,” he added.
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi also expressed his condolences and concern. “I was very shocked to know that many lives were lost in Kallakurichi due to the consumption of counterfeit liquor. Many others are fighting for their lives in critical condition. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and a speedy recovery to those admitted to the hospitals,” he said in a statement. The Governor pointed out the recurring nature of such incidents and the need for systemic changes to stop the production and distribution of illicit alcohol. “From time to time, news emerges from different parts of our state about deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor. They reflect continuing shortcomings in curbing illicit alcohol production and consumption. This is a matter of serious concern,” he added.
Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami plans to visit the victims in Kallakurichi. This incident poses a significant challenge to the ruling DMK party soon after their recent electoral success.
Actor Vijay’s new political party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, criticized the DMK government. In a statement, Vijay expressed condolences to the families of the deceased and criticized the government for negligence. “Given that we have not fully recovered from the grief of losing many lives due to a similar incident last year, this recurrence highlights the negligence of the government administration,” Vijay said. He urged the state government to take strong preventive measures to avoid such tragedies in the future.
Over 2,000 police from various districts have been deployed in Kallakurichi to maintain order and assist in the investigation. The state government has promised strict measures to prevent such incidents in the future. This includes stronger enforcement of existing laws and better surveillance of known hotspots for illegal liquor activities.
The tragic incident in Kallakurichi highlights the urgent need for effective action against the production and distribution of spurious liquor in Tamil Nadu. The government’s response and the actions taken in the coming days will be crucial in preventing similar tragedies in the future.
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