Nearly 40 people were also reportedly hospitalized after consuming the alcohol at the party on Saturday, June 6
Credit: Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Four people have died, with nearly 40 hospitalized, after they allegedly drank adulterated tequila at a quinceañera in Mexico on Saturday, June 6, according to local media outlets
- Among those reported to have died include José Antonio Cárdenas and Martín Robles, the birthday girl’s father and uncle respectively
- The Guanajuato State Attorney General’s Office is investigating the source of the alcohol
Four people have died, with nearly 40 hospitalized, after they allegedly drank adulterated tequila at a teenage girl's quinceañera in Mexico.
According to local outlets Periódico Correo and AM, Sanjuana González, 36, José Guadalupe Ramblás, 33, José Antonio Cárdenas, 39, and Martín Robles, 28, — the latter two the birthday girl's father and uncle — all died after drinking the alcohol.
The quinceañera, held for a girl named by Periódico Correo as Jazmín, took place at a party hall in the community of Puerto de Valle in Salamanca in the state of Guanajuato on Saturday, June 6. The traditional Latin American celebration is held for 15-year-old girls to signify their transition to adulthood.
The following day, some of the guests remained asleep, the outlet reported. Their families thought they were hungover at first, but later realized that some were unconscious. Others were experiencing symptoms including vomiting, headaches and blurred vision.
Credit: Getty
Twenty-eight people were treated at the Hospital de la Gente in Salamanca, with another eight at the Mexican Social Security Institute and a further two at another Hospital de la Gente after consuming the alcohol. Six remained in the hospital as of Tuesday, June 9, per Periódico Correo. According to Reforma, two teenagers aged 15 and 16 were among those hospitalized.
Narciso López — the grandfather of Ramblás, one of the individuals who reportedly died after drinking the alcohol — told Periódico Correo, "They tell me my grandson was asleep and stayed that way all Sunday, until they saw he wasn't waking up. They took him to the hospital and they tell me he's dead."
He added that another of his grandsons was affected by the alleged bootleg tequila but was "doing well" in the hospital, and that "justice must be served."
Ramblás, who played soccer, has also been remembered by the Liga De Fútbol Valtierrilla, which sent its condolences to his loved ones in a Facebook post.
A friend of González said people became concerned when she didn't arrive to sell tamales as usual two days later. "She was very well known here," they told AM. "She always went to work early in Puerto de Valle, but on Monday she didn't show up to sell and then we found out about this … we want to know what happened."
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The source of the alcohol is unknown, but authorities are currently investigating. According to AM, Salamanca's local government said it would be down to the Guanajuato State Attorney General's Office to carry out the investigation.
PEOPLE reached out to the Guanajuato Department of Health and State Attorney General's Office for further updates but did not immediately hear back.
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