LAHORE - Three people died from drinking toxic bootleg liquor in Lahore’s Nishtar Colony on Saturday, rescue workers said. The bodies were shifted to the city morgue.
The deceased were identified by police as Atish Masih, Naqash, and Gull Zaman. The victims are aged 25 to 30.
Police sources said all the three friends fell unconscious after drinking toxic bootleg liquor at a house in Asif Town on Saturday afternoon. As their condition deteriorated, they were rushed to a hospital but died in the way.
According to Edhi Ambulance Service, the bodies were shifted to the morgue for autopsy.
A police official said they were investigating the deaths apparently caused by toxic bootleg liquor. He said the bodies will be handed over to the families after the postmortem. Further investigation was underway.
Seminary student found dead in Hanjarwal
Deaths from illegally-produced liquor, known locally as “Desi alcohol” or “Kupi”, are a regular occurrence in this Punjab province where many people, particularly, members of the Christian community are unable to afford the branded liquor.
In 2016, at least 42 people, most of them Christians celebrating Christmas, had died and dozens fell ill after drinking toxic alcohol in Punjab’s Toba Tek Singh district.
Separately, a 25-year-old man was found dead in a plot in the Hanjarwal police precincts on Saturday morning. The body was moved to the morgue. A police official said apparently, the deceased was the student of a religious school. Some passersby spotted the body lying in a plot near Rana Town and alerted the police by phone. The police were investigating the incident.
