Berhampur: The toll in the Ganjam hooch tragedy rose to 3 on Saturday with one more person succumbing during treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Odisha’s Berhampur.
The deceased person has been identified as Lakshman Behera.
He was hospitalised along with a dozen others after allegedly consuming spurious country liquor in Chikiti area in Ganjam district on August 19 evening. He was in the ICU of the state-run hospital over the past week.
While two men earlier died at the hospital, four others are still in the ICU. Viscera of the two deceased, Jura Behera (60) and Loknath Behera (36), have also been sent to the forensic laboratory in Bhubaneswar to determine the cause of death, while ongoing raids in the aftermath of the tragedy have led to the destruction of significant quantities of illicit liquor across the state.
A total of 15 people were admitted to MKCG as they fell ill after consuming spurious liquor sold near Moundpur.
Police have so far arrested 16 people in connection with the hooch tragedy. It is suspected that illicit liquor supplied to rural areas of Andhra Pradesh is linked to the tragedy, and the traders are now believed to be hiding in the neighbouring state.
On August 22, Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced an administrative probe by the RDC into the liquor case while asserting the government’s commitment to demolishing all the illegal country liquor joints.
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