Toxic liquor related death toll rose to 43 on Saturday rendering 39 women widow and 114 children orphan, while another 4 were unconscious in Nishtar Hospital's Emergency ward till Saturday afternoon. The deceased belonged to poor families and were between 22 to 40 years of age.
Principal Nishtar Medical College, Multan, Syed Laiq Hussain Siddiqui said, "Total 36 person were taken to the emergency ward, of them 25 died, while 4 are in critical condition. Seven are out of danger." Siddiqui said that 21 persons died in NMC emergency ward and four in the ward, remaining 19 died at homes or private clinics.
He said that bootleggers distributed the toxic liquor in different parts of Multan and adjacent areas, and more than 50 people were affected but their relatives took them to private hospitals, clinic to evade Police proceedings. CPO Multan Syed Saud Aziz said the toxic liquor was manufactured on December 17 and distributed in the market from Friday (December 18).
It was first used on Friday night in a marriage ceremony of Khadim Hussain's son. "We have arrested seven bootleggers including a constable Muhammad Younas and Mehboob Ahmed alias Sadar and five live stills, besides seizing thousands litre of liquor.
CPO confirmed the death of 40 people and said that Joseph and Asim Masih of Razabad and Noor-ul-Hassan. Nadeem, Naveed, Muhammad Siddique and Muhammad Ashraf of Muzaffarabad, Nazir Ahmed of Shrifpura, Shehzad of Bava Safra, Ikramullah of Usmanpur, Nadeem, Naveed, Muhammad Siddique, Muhammad Ashraf of Muzaffarabad (Multan), Kashif Ali, Muhammad Ikram, Abid Ali Mukhtar Ahmed, Dilawar, Dama Pehalwan, Amin Dalay wala, Mehmood alias Nikka, Ali Hussain, Shabbir Hussain and Mukhtawar, Muhammad Yamin, Shaheen, Inayat Ali, Asif Ali, Hayat-ullah Patwari, Abdul Waheed, Muhammad Saeed, Mushtaq Ahmed, Muhammad Rafique, Altaf Hussain, Hidayat-ullah, Bhola,Nazir Ahmed of Shrifpura, Shehzad of Bava Safra, Ikramullah of Usmanpur, Nadeem, Naveed, Muhammad Siddique and Muhammad Ashraf of Muzaffarabad died. CPO clarified that a cop Fayyaz Ahmed did not take the toxic liquor and he died of food poisoning.
Police said that liquor was supplied by Ramzan alias chairman supplied this consignment through its agents in Multan city. Commissioner Multan Syed Muhammad Ali Gardezi said, "An inquiry has been ordered into the manufacturing of liquor in different areas of Multan with the co-ordination of police. At least 82 people have so far been died in Multan after taking toxic liquor.