india

Updated: Feb 25, 2019 12:35 IST

Six people died and eight others were hospitalised after they drank suspected industrial spirit mistaking it for liquor in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, the police said.

All the victims were rag-pickers. They were identified as Vadapalli Appa Rao, Appayamma (60), Anasapali Ramanamma (70), Appadu (65) and Kondodu (65) and Appalamma (62). Five were declared dead on Sunday while one more person, Vadapalli Appa Rao, died in the King Gorge Hospital early Monday.

Dr A. Arjun, superintendent of King George Hospital said three persons died after they were shifted to their hospital and three others were “brought dead”. “It could be a colourless, poisonous substance,” he said.

Police said Appayamma found a can containing a liquid that smelt like alcohol from a heap of garbage in a dump yard. She drank a small quantity of the liquid thinking that it was liquor and shared it with 13 others in her colony. Appayamma fainted and collapsed soon as her body turned cold and died on the spot in the colony. Two others died on the way a hospital in Visakhapatnam.

Gajuvaka Circle Inspector K. Rama Rao said it was not a case of hooch tragedy as people initially thought. “The tragedy took place after they drank the chemical used in industries. We have started investigations to find out how the chemical found its way into the dump yard”, Rama Rao said.

CPI (M) activists took out a rally on Monday in the city protesting the alleged laxity in ensuring timely treatment for the victims in the KGH. They demanded an ex-gratia of Rs 20 lakh each of the families of victims.