The Hindu : Hooch kills four near Kollam

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 11, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Hooch kills four near Kollam

By Our Staff Reporter

KOLLAM April 10. Hooch sold from a liquor den at Kooppana, near Anchalumoodu, in Kollam, has claimed four lives. The death toll, it is feared, may go up as 13 persons have been admitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital. Two among them are in a highly critical stage.

Tension gripped the Kooppana area this morning as two persons who consumed the killer brew from the hooch den on Wednesday night swooned and died this morning. While one of them, Vishwanathan, died even before he could be taken to hospital, another person, Aravindakshan, was declared dead on arrival at the Kollam District Hospital here.

By noon, more people were brought to the district hospital. One among them was rushed to the Thiruvananthapuram MCH, but he died on his way to the hospital. Sreedharan died at the Medical College Hospital.

Even towards evening, a couple of persons who had consumed the hooch were admitted to the district hospital. Most of those hospitalised complained of visual impairment and giddiness.

Two persons were referred to the MCH in the afternoon and eight others in the evening. Among them, the condition of Siyad and Sreedharan was reported to be critical. Most of them had consumed the hooch on Wednesday night, but there were others who consumed the stuff even this morning. The district hospital superintendent, Rajan, said preliminary examinations of the victims showed that they had consumed methyl alcohol.

The district hospital premises were seen crowded with people, mostly from the Kooppana area, who were anxious to learn about the identity of those admitted and their condition. Hospital staff had a hard time controlling the crowd from rushing into the casualty section.

Meanwhile, some of the hospitalised persons and their relatives told presspersons that the hooch den functioned from the Kayalkara area of Kooppana in the vicinity of the local toddy shop.

Spirit was the stuff sold there and a good crowd of locals regularly patronised the den. They said the hooch den had been operating there for long. They also identified one Thampi as the person who operated the den.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Hooch kills four near Kollam

Ghulam Nabi arriving as poll observer

CPI(M) may help Karunakaran

'Karunakaran should not have been hurt'

Amendment to Central Act needed: Kuttappan

Rival factions sharpen strategies

CPI not to seek Cong. help to oppose BJP

Rape case: MCH staff found guilty of dereliction of duty