Death toll in toxic liquor tragedy rises to 32

Death toll in the toxic liquor tragedy on Friday jumped to 32 as three more persons died during their treatment at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). Dr Seemi Jamali, head of JPMC's emergency department, told Business Recorder that of around 60 affected people, who were brought to the hospital from Tuesday evening to Friday, 32 have died while 15 are still under treatment.
"Six more people are still in critical condition and all-out efforts were being made to save their lives," she added. Most of victims were aged between 17 and 28 years, while few of them were between 40 and 50 years, she said, adding that the hospital has, so far, discharged 10 to 12 people.
Police claimed that family members of the victims of the tragedy took away the bodies without fulfilling medico-legal formalities as they were reluctant to admit that their loved ones had died after consuming toxic liquor. Meanwhile, Excise police has initiated action against the culprits allegedly involved in producing and selling toxic liquor and claimed to have recovered some 400 liters of alcohol from a factory, located in Landhi's Zaman Town. The factory has been sealed while a suspect, identified as Sibt-e-Hassan, has been taken in to custody, sources said.
DIG-East Munir Shaikh to whom Additional IGP Ghulam Qadir Thebo has assigned the task of investigating into the incident said that police has already started its probe from different angles and a report in this regard will be finalized by Monday. It may be recalled here that more than two dozen people had died in Hyderabad and Tandojam after consuming home-made toxic liquor. Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and IGP, Sindh, Ghulam Hyder Jamali, have directed police officials to launch operations against the elements involved in manufacturing and selling toxic liquor in Karachi and Hyderabad.
Meanwhile, concerned citizens said that illegal manufacturing of home-made liquor and its sale as well as its consumption was rapidly increasing in different parts of the city, particularly in Sharafi Goth, Quaidabad Landhi, Korangi, Orangi, Bilal Colony, Awami Colony, Zaman Town, Mehmoodabad, Sohrab Goth, Banaras, and the localities falling under the jurisdictions of Frere and Preedy police stations. They also deplored that mostly youth belonging to slum areas of the city were getting addicted to drugs.