CHENNAI: Death toll in Kallakurichi liquor tragedy rises to 58

Chennai: The death toll due to consumption of spurious liquor in Kallakurichi district has risen to 58 with one more person succumbing to the disease on Monday morning. A 34-year-old man named Manikandan from Siruvangur, who was undergoing treatment at the Kallakurichi Medical College Hospital after consuming ‘pepper arrack’ laced with methanol last week, died today.

With this, the death toll in the tragic hooch tragedy rose to 58 from 57 yesterday, while over 80 people are still admitted to local hospitals. On Sunday morning, the prohibition enforcement wing arrested methanol supplier Shivakumar involved in the case, who was hiding in Chennai and handed him over to the CB-CID for further investigation. Chief Minister M K Stalin has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to each of the victim’s families and set up a one-member commission headed by a retired high court judge to investigate the causes and prevent future hooch incidents in the state. The Chief Minister also announced to give Rs 50,000 to every person undergoing treatment from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund.