The Sangrampur methanol poisonings occurred when a methanol-tainted batch of illegal alcohol killed 143 people at
Sangrampur village in
Magrahat I
Magrahat I is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Diamond Harbour subdivision of South 24 Parganas district in the Indian State of West Bengal.
Geography
Magrahat I CD block is located at . It has an average ...
CD Block of
Diamond Harbour subdivision
Diamond Harbour subdivision is an administrative subdivision of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Subdivisions
South 24 Parganas district is divided into five administrative subdivisions:
26.04% of the total po ...
in December 2011, affecting mainly manual workers of
South 24 Parganas district
South 24 Parganas (Pron: pɔrɡɔnɔs; abbr. 24 PGS (S)), or sometimes South Twenty Four Parganas and Dakshin 24 Parganas, is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal, headquartered in Alipore. It is the largest district of West Bengal by ...
in the
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
West Bengal
West Bengal (, Bengali: ''Poshchim Bongo'', , abbr. WB) is a state in the eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabitants within an area of . West Bengal is the fou ...
.
The incident
Victims around
South 24 Parganas district
South 24 Parganas (Pron: pɔrɡɔnɔs; abbr. 24 PGS (S)), or sometimes South Twenty Four Parganas and Dakshin 24 Parganas, is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal, headquartered in Alipore. It is the largest district of West Bengal by ...
started becoming sick on December 13, 2011, after drinking a home-brewed alcoholic beverage known as . The drinks contained
methanol, a toxic chemical that, when ingested, can lead to blindness or death from nervous system paralysis. On December 14, victims admitted to hospitals complained about stomach pain, diarrhea and breathing problems. Within 48 hours, the death toll rose to 143, and many more were in critical condition. Most who died were manual laborers and others of low socio-economic class, who bought the liquor at illegal bars called .
Later the death number rose to 156 people.
Official response
The
Government of West Bengal paid $ 4,000 to the family of each victim, and arrested seven people for distributing the liquor. 10 illegal liquor shops in
Diamond Harbour subdivision
Diamond Harbour subdivision is an administrative subdivision of the South 24 Parganas district in the Indian state of West Bengal.
Subdivisions
South 24 Parganas district is divided into five administrative subdivisions:
26.04% of the total po ...
, one of the affected communities, were shut down by the police as well.
See also
*
List of alcohol poisonings in India
This is a partial list of alcohol poisonings in India. These incidents are often – but not exclusively – associated with methanol poisoning of the victims, where toxic methyl alcohol is used as a cheap way, as compared to the proper u ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2011 Sangrampur methanol poisonings
Crime in West Bengal
2011 in India
Alcohol-related deaths in India
Methanol poisoning incidents
2010s in West Bengal
Disasters in West Bengal