Government sources confirmed to DH that the death toll was 33 and it was expected to rise as at least a couple of people are critical.
At least 20 more people died on Thursday, taking the death toll from the incident of consuming spurious liquor in Kallakurichi district to 33. The incident which sent shock waves across the state has raised questions on how brewing and sale of illicit liquor went unchecked by the district administration.
While Kallakurichi district collector M S Prasanth, who took charge in the morning after incumbent Sravan Kumar Jatavath was shunted out, put the death toll at 29, Tamil television channel said the number of people who have lost their lives from the tragedy is 33.
Government sources too confirmed to DH that the death toll was 33 and it was expected to rise as at least a couple of people are critical. Public Works Department (PWD) minister E V Velu and Health Minister Ma Subramanian are camping in Kallakurichi overseeing the relief activities, Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin is on his way to the spot.
Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, who squarely laid the blame for the incident on the DMK government, will also visit the families of the victims of the tragedy. Sources said over 50 people consumed spurious liquor either on Tuesday night or in the wee hours of Wednesday in Karunapuram colony in Kallakurichi after it was sold to them in packets.
“My father was missing for some time after he finished tending to cows in the morning. Within half-an-hour, we were told that he collapsed and that is when we realised that he has consumed spurious liquor. This is a menace and it should be eradicated,” the daughter of a 45-year-old victim said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
Several women who consumed liquor also died. Police said initial probe revealed that methanol was mixed with the spurious liquor and about 900 litres of illicit liquor has been recovered since Wednesday.
Police have so far arrested 10 people, including two women, while a hunt has been launched to nab the culprit who sold Methanol.
Under attack from the Opposition over the deaths due to spurious liquor especially just a day before the Tamil Nadu assembly is set to be convened, the government swung into control the damage by transferring district collector Sravan Kumar Jatavath and place superintendent of police Samay Singh Meena under suspension.
While M S Prasanth will replace Jatavath, Rajat Chaturvedi will be the new SP. The state government also transferred the entire Prohibition Enforcement Wing (PEW) in Kallakurichi district for lapses.
Blood samples of the deceased have been sent to forensic labs in Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry and other institutes for analyses.