HYDERABAD: Around 97 people from 12 villages of Vikarabad district were hospitalised till Saturday after suffering seizures and one person died, allegedly due to consumption of adulterated toddy.
The district excise officials collected 12 toddy samples from the affected villages and sent them to the department's lab in Hyderabad, to be tested for adulteration.
Most of the affected persons are from Yerravalli, Pendlimadugu, Kamareddyguda, Narayanpur, Kothagadi and Chittigidda villages of the district. The person who died was from Pendlimadugu village.
Panic prevailed in the villages as one by one people started suffering seizures from Friday evening and the numbers kept increasing on Saturday.
As the district officials looked into the matter, it was observed that most of the persons who got admitted were habitual toddy drinkers.
Following this, the excise officials shut toddy shops in all the villages and one toddy depot at Chittigidda, from where toddy samples were collected for chemical analysis.
Speaking to the media, Excise department Assistant Commissioner Mohammad Qureshi said that all the persons who have been hospitalised are now stable and according to diagnosis of the doctors, the hospitalised persons are displaying withdrawal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, dizziness etc for which treatment is being provided.
Later in the day, Maheshwaram constituency MLA and Education Minister, Sabitha Indra Reddy speaking to media said, "Around 87-97 persons from 12 villages have been hospitalised. Most of them used to consume toddy in the evenings and it is being alleged that the toddy they consumed was adulterated."
She added, "Toddy samples have been sent for testing and if they are found to be adulterated, necessary action will be initiated as per law. In all the affected villages the district officials are creating awareness that if anyone else is also experiencing such symptoims, they should seek medical care immediately."