Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: Death toll rises to 52

CHENNAI: The death toll in the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy rose to 52 on Friday morning. Twenty-eight people died at Kallakurichi Government Medical College Hospital, while 17 died at Salem GMCH, four at Villupuram GMCH, and three at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) in Puducherry.
Kallakurichi District Collector M.S. Prasad said 118 patients are undergoing treatment in four hospitals, and the condition of six patients is very critical. Meanwhile, a team of health officials has started screening people for any health complications at Karunapuram and referred six people, who reportedly consumed illicit arrack but were scared to seek medical attention, to Kallakurichi GMCH for treatment.
A release from JIPMER said the institute received 19 patients with an alleged history of consumption of illicit liquor.
"Of the 19 patients, three were brought dead, and the remaining were all seriously ill. Ten patients required urgent ventilatory support and were admitted to intensive care units for advanced life support and continue to remain critically ill. The remaining six patients are also serious. All 16 patients have also received dialysis since their admission. All the patients are being provided the best possible care by multidisciplinary teams, as per requirements, and are being closely monitored," said the release.
In the meantime, PMK founder S. Ramadoss has demanded a CBI probe into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy. In a statement on Friday, Ramadoss accused the DMK government of attempting to divert the attention of the people from the hooch tragedy and to save the culprits involved in the crime after the call from various quarters intensified, demanding the government to arrest all those involved in selling illicit arrack and to ensure stringent punishment for them.