A quinceanera celebration in the Mexican state of Guanajuato ended in tragedy after At least four people died and nearly 40 were poisoned after consuming allegedly adulterated tequila during the party.
The event took place on Saturday in a party hall in Salamanca, a city located in the south-central area of Guanajuato. Among the fatalities are close relatives of the fifteen-year-old, identified only as Jazmín, according to the Correo Newspaper.
The authorities confirmed the death of José Antonio Cárdenas, 39 years old and father of the teenager; Martín Robles, 28 years old and the young woman’s uncle; as well as Sanjuana González, 36, and José Guadalupe Ramblás, 33.
Symptoms appeared hours later
According to local media, The first signs that something was not right emerged the day after the celebration.
Relatives of several attendees initially thought their loved ones were suffering from the normal effects of a hangover. However, upon noticing that they remained unconscious for long hours, they decided to transfer them to medical centers.
Narciso López, grandfather of José Guadalupe Ramblás, confirmed the death of his grandson and noted that another member of the family was also intoxicated, although he is out of danger.
“They told me that my grandson was asleep and remained that way throughout Sunday. When they saw that he did not wake up, they took him to the health center and there they were informed that he had died,” he said.
The man also demanded that the authorities clarify what happened and punish those responsible.
Dozens of people were hospitalized
According to local reports, At least 28 people received medical attention at the Wisely being facility of the People of Salamanca.
Another eight were treated in facilities of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) and two more in another medical center in the region.
Until Tuesday, six people remained hospitalized under observation.
The magnitude of the poisoning has generated concern among the inhabitants of Salamanca, where several of the victims were widely known.
Sanjuana González, one of the deceased, worked as a food vendor and was known for selling tamales in the community. Friends and neighbors expressed their dismay after hearing the news.
“He was a very well-known person here. He always left early for work and when he didn’t show up on Monday we started to worry,” a close friend told local media.
Ongoing investigation
Authorities are working to determine the origin of the tequila consumed during the celebration and establish whether the drink contained toxic substances or was illegally adulterated.
The investigations are being coordinated by the Commonplace Prosecutor’s Office of the State of Guanajuato, which has not yet reported on possible perpetrators nor has it revealed preliminary results of the toxicological analyzes.
Cases of adulterated alcohol have generated recurring concern in different regions of Mexico due to the use of dangerous substances, such as industrial methanol, which can cause serious poisoning, permanent neurological damage and even death.
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