07 March 2024 , 11:43
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Five restaurant diners were rushed to hospital when their mouths started bleeding and they began vomiting after allegedly being served dry ice as a mouth freshener.
In video footage of the incident circulating online, the group, which included three women and two men, can be seen trying desperately to relieve the pain as they scream in agony and hold their tongues. One woman appears to shove fresh ice in her mouth in an attempt to cool the burning sensation.
One of the men could also be seen continuously putting water in his mouth before spitting it on the floor as another says: "I'm calling police." The group of diners were eating at La Forestta Cafe in Gurugram city, India when they were allegedly given a packet of mouth freshener that had a solid form of carbon dioxide added to it.
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All five were taken to hospital following the incident, The Sun reports. Two are said to be in a critical condition, according to local media.
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Local resident Ankit Kumar told police he was visiting the restaurant along with his wife and friends on Saturday when a waiter gave them a packet of mouth freshener after dinner. But as soon as they consumed it, their mouths started burning and bleeding and they also started vomiting, the police told BBC in a statement.
One man tries to wash the substance out his mouth by drinking and spitting out water
The five people screamed in agony after consuming the dry iceMr Kumar said: "I showed the packet of mouth freshener to a doctor, who said it was dry ice. According to the doctor, it is an acid which can lead to death." In their complaint, the customers have also accused the restaurant staff of refusing to help them.
On Tuesday, police in Gurugram city arrested the restaurant's manager on charges of poisoning "with the intent to cause hurt or harm". A search is also underway for the owner of the food joint.
Police are investigating the incident which happened at La Forestta Cafe in Gurugram city, IndiaDry ice is essentially frozen carbon dioxide and has a surface temperature of around -78.5C. It is often handled with gloves or tongues and is made by reducing the pressure and temperature of liquid carbon dioxide until it converts into a clean, white snow. This snow can then be compressed under high pressure to form blocks, slices and pellets.
Consuming dry ice can inflict severe damage to the skin and internal organs due to the extremely low temperatures it can maintain. Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident which will include a thorough analysis of the contents of the mouth freshener. The case is currently ongoing.