DISGUSTED diners vomited blood after a hotel restaurant allegedly served them dry ice as a mouth freshener.
A group of five diners fell ill at La Forestta Cafe, Gurugram city, India, after consuming a packet of mouth freshener that had a solid form of carbon dioxide added to it.
A video of the incident has been circulating on social media – in which the customers can be heard screaming in agony.
The group can be seen holding their tongues and yelping in pain.
One woman resorted to shoving ice in her mouth, while others downed water in an attempt to cool the burning sensation.
All five had to be hospitalised after they started vomiting and their mouths started bleeding.
Two of them are now said to be in critical condition, according to local media.
Local resident Ankit Kumar, who had been dining with his wife and some friends, made the police report.
He said that they were lucky to have not consumed the packet, adding that he showed it to a doctor instead.
He revealed: “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.”
Gurugam police arrested the restaurant manager on Tuesday on charges of poisoning with “the intent to cause hurt or harm”.
A search is also being carried out for the owner of the hotel restaurant – who has vanished.
Local police have said that they will be conducting a thorough analysis of the contents of the mouth freshener.
The case is currently ongoing.
The news comes after three people died and seven people were reported critically ill after suffering carbon dioxide poisoning.
The victims suffered after a huge load of dry ice was chucked into the water to create a spectacular “steam show” effect.
It was meant to delight party-goers by producing huge clouds of theatrical smoke.
But guests immediately began suffering severe breathing problems and fainting, and some reportedly had chemical burns.
And back in 2018, an ice cream salesman’s wife and mother were found unconscious in a car in Washington State, US – apparently from the vapour from four dry ice coolers.
