One person died and at least four others were hospitalised in Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday after a group of youngsters consumed a chemical used in sanitisers as a substitute to alcohol, as wine shops in the state have been shut due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
The incident took place near Kavalipuram village in West Godavari district's Iragavaram mandal and the deceased has been identified as 20-year-old Naveen Murthy.
Reports suggest that one P Veeresh, a native of Velpur village who worked with a chemical company, managed to get his hands on a bottle of isopropyl alcohol, a chemical which is generally used as a disinfectant. It is also used in the preparation of hand sanitisers.
He then called his friends who gathered and tried to consume the liquid after diluting it, following which they fell seriously ill. While one person lost his life, some of them were even temporarily blinded because of consuming the chemical, reports stated.
Police said that the youth took the extreme step as they were addicted to alcohol. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway.
The closure of all wine shops, bars and pubs across all states due to the COVID-19 lockdown is resulting in many people experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
In neighbouring Telangana, the Institute of Mental Health in Hyderabad's Erragadda is witnessing a massive influx of alcoholics as they have no source of liquor. Many of them are experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms and are being admitted to the hospital.
The ruling YSRCP has also promised to introduce prohibition in Andhra Pradesh in a phased manner.
In 2019, shortly after coming to power, the YSRCP government took over the liquor retail business and reduced the number of outlets from 4,380 to 3,500.
All the shops are currently run by the state-owned Andhra Pradesh Beverages Corporation Limited (APBCL). The business hours of the wine shops were also curtailed.