HYDERABAD: Twelve people lost their lives in the past 24 hours in different parts of Hyderabad district after consuming poisonous liquor, raising the death toll to 16 since Sunday night, sources said on Wednesday.

Bereaved families were reluctant to confirm deaths , but people of the areas concerned told reporters separately that those people had died after drinking toxic liquor.

Four deaths alone were confirmed in the village of Darya Khan Nahiyoon, Tando Jam, since Tuesday night till Wednesday morning.

According to Liaquat University Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Rafiqul Hassan Khokhar, two residents of the said village were received dead.

They were identified as Prem Kohli, 16, son of Rangeelo Kohli, and Aslam, 29, son of Khadim Hussain. Two patients, Sawan of Tando Allahyar and Sultan of Machhar colony, Hyderabad, were still admitted to medical unit-III of the LUH.

Faqiro Meghwar and Adeel Nahiyon died in the same village on Tuesday night due to the liquor.

Three persons, who were residents of Hashmi colony unit-4 Latifabad, also died. Local people confirmed that three men had died after consuming the liquor.

They were identified as Abdullah Ghori, a policeman of Hyderabad, Nasir, aka Chingari, and Hussain Shah. One Teekam Das, resident of Bachao Bund Kohli Goth, also died under similar circumstances.

The colony is said to be located within the jurisdiction of the Hussainabad police station.

Faisal Rajput of Munawarabad located in the area of B-section police station; Veeraj of Palari Goth within the jurisdiction of same police station; Aftab Masih and Parwano (both residents of Bachao Bund Unit-10 Latifabad) died in separate incidents after consuming the liquor.

A police spokesman said Faisal Rajput, son of Mohammad Ibrahim Rajput, had gone to his workplace in Jamshoro after having some domestic dispute in the family. When he returned, his condition deteriorated and he died on Tuesday night.

The DSP and the SHO Hussainabad were investigating the Hashmi colony deaths. Police said raids were being conducted on liquor dens and a sizeable quantity of liquor had been seized. Around 49 people involved in liquor business had been arrested, police said.

According to SP Hyder Raza, seven deaths were confirmed in the Tandojam area in the past three days whereas 15 deaths were reported in the whole district including the seven. He said those deaths had been reported in the areas of Pinyari, Hussainabad and B-section police stations.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2014