A restaurant manager in Gurugram, Haryana, was arrested following the circulation of social media footage depicting five customers experiencing bloody vomiting after consuming what was purportedly a “mouth freshener,” reported ANI.
All five individuals were hospitalized, with two reported to be in critical condition. Preliminary investigations revealed that they had been provided dry ice as a mouth freshener at Laforestta Cafe.
What is Dry Ice?
Dry ice, informally known as solid carbon dioxide, is frequently utilized for temporary refrigeration purposes due to carbon dioxide’s lack of a liquid state under standard atmospheric pressure. Instead, it undergoes sublimation directly from its solid state to its gaseous state. Consuming dry ice or condensed Carbon Dioxide can cause cold burns and asphyxiation if ingested inadvertently.
#WATCH | Haryana: On Five people vomit blood allegedly after eating mouth freshener at Gurugram café, Surender Sheoran, ACP Manesar says, “On the night of the 3rd (March), we got information from the hospital that some people have been admitted here. Police reached the spot and… pic.twitter.com/2rAmt3jFJ3
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2024
In their police report, the customers described experiencing a burning sensation in their mouths followed by vomiting, with blood being expelled. Despite attempting to rinse their mouths with water, the symptoms persisted.
Ankit Kumar, who was present at Laforestta Cafe in Gurugram’s Sector 90 with his wife and friends, stated in the police report, “After showing the packet of mouth freshener to a doctor, it was identified as dry ice. According to the doctor, it is an acid that can be fatal.”
