Srinaagr: Amid the country-wide lockdown due to the COVID outbreak, at least nine people have died after consuming an alcohol-based hand sanitiser in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district.
On Wednesday night, one person lost his life and two others succumbed on Thursday night and six others on next morning in Kurichedu town, after consuming the hand sanitiser, a report by a Delhi based newspaper Hindustan Times said.
The report added that three of the deceased are believed to be beggars and the remaining are the local slum dwellers. In all, 20 people believed to have consumed sanitizer in the last two days.
The report identified the deceased persons as Anugonda Srinu (25), Bhogem Tirupataiah (35), Guntaka Rami Reddy (60), Kadiam Ramanaiah (28), Raja Reddy (65), Ramanaiah (65), Babu (40), Charles (45) and Augustine (45).
Talking to the newspaper, Prakasam district Superintendent of Police (SP) Siddharth Kaushal said that these people had consumed sanitiser due to non-availability of liquor as there was a lockdown in force in Kurichedu to contain the spread of COVID.
On 25 July, it started with a beggar at a local temple in Kurichedu. The beggar, according to the report, complained of severe burning sensation in his stomach and succumbed later in a hospital on Wednesday night.
Next day morning, two other persons were shifted to the government hospital at Darsi town after they collapsed due to severe stomach pain. The duo succumbed late in the night. Six others, who were also admitted to the hospital with similar complaints, died on Friday morning.
The police officer told Hindustan Times that sanitisers from all local shops were seized for lab tests. The police are trying to ascertain if the victims had consumed raw sanitiser or mixed it with spurious liquor.
Pertinently, the Kurichedu and its adjoining areas have been under lockdown for the last 10 days due to spike in COVID positive cases.
India currently has a fatality rate of 2.26 per cent due to coronavirus. The government has said more than 70 per cent of the people recover from COVID with mild or very mild symptoms. Such cases may not even require admission to COVID blocks or dedicated hospitals, the Health Ministry said.
Across the world, there have been a total of 1,72,95,674 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the latest update. This includes 64,99,539 people who are being treated, 1,01,23,361 who have recovered and 6,72,774 who have died.
Free Press Kashmir is now on Telegram. Click here to Join.
