HYDERABAD: The death toll in Tuesday’s poisonous liquor tragedy rose to 23 with the death of nine more persons in Tandojam and Tando Allahyar during the last 24 hours, police and hospital sources said on Thursday evening.

Reports from the areas suggested that four persons — Taj Mohammad Magsi, Juman Solangi, Chandar and Lelo Kohli — died in Tandojam and another five — Adil Qureshi, Amarshi Kolhi, Nanji, Juma and Abdul Rasheed Lashari — died in Tando Allahyar.

On Tuesday, six persons had died in Tandojam and another three in Tando Allahyar after consuming poisonous liquor. Five such patients brought from Tando Allahyar to the Liaquat University Hospital, City branch, died during treatment on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Tandojam police on Thursday booked and arrested five more suspects — Najaf Shah, Sahil Shah, Saif Ali Shah, Abbas Shah and Sohail Shah — from near Lal Chitra graveyard in connection with the sale of poisonous liquor. Around 1,000 litres of liquor was seized from them, the police said.

On Wednesday, they had booked two suspects and arrested one of them, Riaz.

The Excise police have also registered a case against one suspect, Misri, in Tando Allahyar and claimed to have seized 210 litres of liquor from him.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2022