Four members of a family, including three women, died in Aloli village under Gangapur police station limits after allegedly consuming a fuel chemical used for heating food, mistaking it for liquor.
The deceased were identified as Ratan Kanjar (49), Sushila Devi (48), Jamni Devi (62) and Badami Devi Kanjar (60). Officials said they had been working as contract dishwashers at a wedding ceremony for the past three days.
Chemical brought home from wedding venue
According to police, the victims reportedly brought the chemical substance from the wedding venue late Thursday night. Believing it to be alcohol, they consumed it at home. Their condition deteriorated rapidly, and they died soon after.
Authorities said the substance was “methanol organic salt,” a highly toxic chemical. Bhilwara District Collector Jasmeet Singh Sandhu and Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh Yadav visited the village along with excise and medical teams.
A case has been registered against shop owner Anuj (38) for allegedly selling chemicals without a valid licence. During investigation, officials seized 20 bottles of methanol from his shop. A forensic science laboratory team collected samples from the scene, and post-mortems were conducted by a medical board.
Financial aid announced
Collector Sandhu stated that preliminary findings indicate methanol poisoning as the cause of death. Since the victims were not registered under the Chief Minister Ayushman Arogya Yojana, proposals are being prepared to provide ₹1 lakh to each affected family from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Health authorities have begun door-to-door medical check-ups in the village as a precautionary measure.
The tragic incident has once again highlighted the grave dangers of toxic chemicals being misused or sold without proper regulation and awareness.