In yet another hooch tragedy that struck in Fatehpur, two construction workers were killed while ten others were admitted to the district hospital and Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital in Kanpur Nagar where their condition was stated to be `critical' by the doctors.
As the matter was related to spurious liquor, the GSVM Medical College Principal Dr RB Kamal also visited the hospital to supervise the treatment given to the victims.
According to reports, about 15 labourers were engaged in constructing the house of Kamta Maurya in Bhauli village under Ghazipur block in Fatehpur district. Late Thursday evening, the labourers completed the slab work and to celebrate the occasion, the owner of the house ordered for the country-made liquor. The spurious liquor was bought from a shop in the Suketi area.
Maurya served liquor and food to workers engaged in the construction of his house. His kin, Shiv Bhola Paswan, also consumed the liquor. After consuming the spurious liquor, Shiv Bhola and the labourers started vomiting and complained of stomach ache and burning sensation in the eyes late at night.
Among them, the condition of Motilal, Ramraj and Shiv Bhola Paswan deteriorated further. They were rushed to the hospital in an unconscious state. Shiv Bhola was pronounced dead on reaching hospital while Moti died in the hospital.
Eight other labourers, including Shiv's brother Shatrughan Paswan, are battling for life in the hospital.
Shiv's wife Umadevi accused house owner Kamta Maurya of giving spurious liquor to the workers to celebrate the occasion which proved fatal.
On hearing the news, the district, police and excise officials rushed to the village to provide health care and to inquire into the reasons behind deaths.
"We are awaiting the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of deaths to initiate action against the guilty," said District Magistrate Apurva Dubey. The DM said that action would be initiated against guilty officials for sale of spurious liquor in the area.
The police have sealed the shop from where the spurious liquor was bought and are on looking for the owner who is on the run.
District Excise Officer Santosh Tewari said that they were waiting for the autopsy report to confirm about spurious liquor.
The liquor samples have been also sent for examination and further action will be only taken after receiving the reports, confirms local police.
Station House Officer of Suketi police station, Kamlesh Pal, said that a case was registered and further investigations were on.
He said the villagers concealed the information and only informed them when two persons died in the tragedy.