Diners at India restaurant bleed from mouth and vomit after consuming dry ice

The manager of a restaurant in the northern Indian city of Gurugram has been arrested after the eatery allegedly served a group of diners with dry ice mixed in a mouth freshener made of sugar and spices.

In a video of the incident, the five diners are seen purportedly vomiting and spitting blood. The clip has since gone viral on social media.

The diners were hospitalised after the incident on March 2, the BBC reported. Two of them are said to be in critical condition, according to news channel NDTV.

The mouth freshener is traditionally served after a meal at some Indian restaurants.

Indian police said the mixture given to the diners contained dry ice — a solid form of carbon dioxide that is commonly used for temporary refrigeration.

The customers were part of a party of six who had eaten at Laforestta Cafe, the police said. They comprised Ankit Kumar, a resident of Greater Noida City, his wife and their four friends.

Kumar, who did not consume the mouth freshener, made a police report.

The rest of the group developed a burning sensation in their mouths and started bleeding. They also vomited, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported.

In the video, a woman is crying while others are gulping down water or putting ice in the mouth, presumably to ease the burning.

Kumar said the restaurant staff fled instead of helping his wife and their friends.

"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," Hindustan Times quoted Kumar as saying.

On March 5, the police arrested the restaurant manager and charged him with poisoning "with the intent to cause hurt or harm", the BBC said.

A search is under way for the restaurant's owner.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.