Thirty-five people have now died after drinking toxic home-made liquor on Christmas Eve in TobaTek Singh some 120 miles( 195 km) North-east of Multan central Pakistan, officials said Wednesday, one of the deadliest cases of mass alcohol poisoning in the country.
The incident happened in a Christian neighbourhood in the town of Toba Tek Singh, 338 kilometres (210 miles) south of Islamabad.
“The death toll has risen to 34 as 10 more people affected by toxic liquor died overnight,” doctor Asif Mehmood Saleemi, the administrator of state-run District Headquarters hospital, told AFP.
Saleemi said 105 people sickened by toxic liquor have so far reported to hospital. Some have been sent to bigger hospitals in the town of Gojra and the city of Faisalabad.
Though legal breweries exist in Pakistan, alcohol sales and consumption are banned for Muslims and tightly regulated for minorities and foreigners.
While wealthy Pakistanis buy foreign alcohol on the black market at heavily inflated prices, the poor often resort to home brews that can contain methanol, commonly used in anti-freeze and fuel.
Eleven Christians died in October after consuming toxic liquor at a party in Punjab province.
In October 2014, 29 drinkers were killed after consuming methanol-tainted liquor over the Eid public holidays.At least 35 people died and nine other fell unconscious after consuming toxic liquor in Toba Tek Singh district of Punjab on Monday.
The affected people belonged to Christian community and they had consumed liquor in revelry, enjoying the Christmas eve.
Initial reports suggested that a total of 52 people consumed the toxic liquor, out of which 40 affected people were brought to district headquarter hospital where 35 were pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, nine patients were transported to Allied Hospital Faisalabad, where two people died later.
Doctors told this scribe that conditions of the affectees were critical. They termed it premature to comment over their chances of survival.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Saddar, Atif Imran Qureshi informed that the toxic liquor was sold in the pretext of permitted liquor. He added that the matter is being investigated and assured that action would be taken against those involved.
He revealed that two wine sellers were also among the 10 dead.
"Police does not act against wine sellers after receiving their share of bribe," wife of an affected person alleged before media.
