TOBA TEK SINGH: Fifteen people died in Mubarakabad Colony on Shorkot Road allegedly after consuming tainted liquor on Monday.

Police said the liquor was consumed by more than two dozen people. On Monday afternoon, they all fell unconscious and were taken to hospital. Five of them at Toba DHQ Hospital and two at Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital died instantly. They were identified as Sajid Masih, Yaqub Masih, Ameen Masih, Shahbaz Masih, Rizwan Masih, Younas Masih and Muhammad Asif Razzaq.

The remaining were admitted to DHQ hospital in unconscious condition, including Zarina Masih, Danial Masih, Asman Samuel, Abdul Jabbar, Sikandar, Samuel, Kishan, Asher, Zahid, Sadiq, Rashid, Sufian, Kamran, Yousaf Masih, Imran Masih, Shehram, Basharat and Aslam among others. Four of them were referred to the Allied Hospital. Later, Tanveer Masih, Asman Samuel and Abdul Jabbar died at the Allied Hospital and Basharat, Aslam, Danial, Yousaf and Imran at the DHQ hospital.

District Coordination Officer Amer Ijaz Akbar and District Police Officer (DPO) Usman Akram Gondal were also present at the DHQ hospital.

Moreover, Shakil Masih who was standing on a railway track near the bodies outside Mubarakabad Colony was crushed to death by a train.

DPO Gondal said it could not be ascertained as to who sold the liquor to the deceased. Initial investigation revealed that Shahbaz and Sajid had brought the liquor, but since both of them were among the victims, it could not be found out who sold it to them.

He added that a team of expert police officers, headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police Atif Imran Qureshi, was probing the incident.

Doctors at the DHQ hospital said 45 people had been brought here out of whom 13 died and 14 were admitted to Toba and Faisalabad hospitals. He added that 18 were provided first aid and discharged.

ACCIDENT: Three people died in two separate accidents here on Monday.

Rajana police claimed youths Adnan and Sufian of Chak 293-GB were travelling on a motorcycle on Rajana-Pirmahal road. When they reached near Chak 288-GB, a car coming from the opposite direction hit their bike, injuring them both seriously. The two were shifted to Rajana rural health centre where they died.

In another incident, three men of Chak 360-JB Gojra were on their way to Toba from Gojra on a motorcycle. When they reached near Janiwala, a trailer hit their bike from the rear side. Waris Ali died instantly, while Ghulam Mustafa and Ali Hasan were critically wounded and shifted to DHQ hospital.

Published in Dawn, December 27th, 2016