The shocking incident of five people vomiting blood after allegedly being served "dry ice" instead of mouth freshener at a restaurant in Haryana's Gurugram has led to the arrest of the manager of the eatery.
The five diners, who are friends, began vomiting and suffered bleeding in the mouth after consuming the dry ice served to them in an apparent mix-up at the La Forestta cafe-cum-restaurant in Sector 90, officials said.
According to the police, the arrested manager is 30-year-old Gagandeep, a resident of Kirti Nagar in Delhi, who joined the cafe three months ago.
As videos of the group screaming and crying in agony, with one of the men vomiting on the restaurant floor, has gone viral on social media. It was only after a doctor's intervention that victims found that they had consumed dry ice.
What Is Dry Ice?
-Dry ice originates from the cooling and condensation of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, it was discovered in the early 1900s, with commercial production commencing in the 1920s.
-It is used in various sectors including medical, food and beverage, research, and in the entertainment industry, where it is used for special effects.
-Frequently employed in shipping perishable goods within the food and pharmaceutical industries, dry ice, with a surface temperature of -78 degrees Celsius, effectively preserves products by maintaining their frozen state during transit, while also preventing moisture accumulation due to its non-melting nature.
-However, mishandling dry ice can pose hazards, as seen in the Gurugram incident. As its extreme temperature can cause cold burns and frostbite, the use of appropriate protective gloves during handling becomes a necessity.
What Happened In Gurugram?
According to an official, the manager told the police during the preliminary interrogation that a packet of dry ice got mixed up with one of mouth freshener (misri) "due to the negligence by the restaurant staff".
"He said there was no ill-intention towards the guests and what happened was unfortunate," the officer said.
Police said two of the five people are still hospitalised.
Ashwani Rustagi, a relative of one of the victims, said, "It is a very big negligence on the part of the restaurant and action should be taken against the owner."
Meanwhile, the restaurant in Sector 90 of Gurugram was found locked on Tuesday when a police team visited there, an official said.
