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Authorities in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district have launched an investigation after the death of nine villagers over the past four days in Lofandi village. The deceased were reportedly heavy consumers of country-made alcohol illegally sold in the area, according to the village sarpanch.
Authorities Respond to Sudden Deaths
Following reports of the deaths, a team comprising administration and police officials visited the village. However, final rites had already been performed for all the deceased except for one, whose body was sent for post-mortem at the Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences (CIMS), Bilaspur.
An official statement revealed that the initial post-mortem report could not determine a specific cause of death. Authorities are awaiting the results of viscera, histopathology, and blood analysis to confirm the cause.
Community Concerns and Speculations
Villagers mentioned that a marriage ceremony took place between February 3 and 6, involving a community feast. Some residents consumed fish from a nearby river, prompting speculation about food poisoning. The deceased had reportedly experienced symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, and dizziness.
Sarpanch Ramadhar Sunhale denied any link between the deaths and the community feast. He emphasized that all the deceased were habitual consumers of country-made liquor. “My brother was a regular drinker with low food intake and frequent health issues due to alcohol consumption,” he claimed.
In response to the health crisis, the Health and Food Safety departments have set up a special health camp in the village. Door-to-door surveys are being conducted to screen residents for illness and provide necessary treatment.
Political Allegations and Blame Game
The opposition Congress has alleged that spurious liquor is responsible for the deaths and has held the ruling BJP government accountable.
“Eight people died in Lofandi after consuming illegal spurious alcohol. The Vishnu Deo Sai government and BJP are responsible for these deaths,” claimed Sushil Anand Shukla, head of the Congress’ communication wing.
Authorities have assured that the exact cause of the deaths will be confirmed following the arrival of the pending forensic reports. Meanwhile, investigations and health interventions continue in the affected village.
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