15 Dead From Toxic Alcohol
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2016 5:41:28 by modousarr
15 people have been reported dead near Karachi from alcohol poisoning according to police on Tuesday.
Reports indicate that dozens more have fallen sick from drinking tainted liquor which is the latest episode of fatalities due to the consumption of low grade moonshine liquor in Pakistan, which is a predominantly Muslim country and criminalizes the consumption of alcohol by Muslims.
According to Nasim Ara Panwar, a senior police officer, two of the 15 victims were women and most of them Hindus.
Another police official speaking under the condition of anonymity confirmed the death toll, he said 37 people in total were brought to hospitals of whom 15 lost their lives and he confirmed that two of these were women.
The key person behind the production of this toxic alcohol is still at large according to Panwar, but police have arrested four individuals in connection with the incident and have confiscated what amounts to 65,000 liters of liquor just two days prior.
The Excise and Taxation Ministry which is also responsible for the regulation of alcohol, launched an inquiry and which so far as seen the suspension of an unconfirmed number of officers for negligence.
Legal breweries do exist in Pakistan however, production is tightly regulated and is only meant for consumption by non Muslim minorities and foreigners.
The more well-off Pakistanis are able to buy bootlegged foreign alcohol, but these quite expensive. Less well – to –do Pakistani’s resort to low quality locally made alcohol than contain harmful substances such as methanol.
It can be recalled that 29 people died in October, after consuming this low grade alcohol over the Eid Holidays.
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