A forensic audit by East Godavari authorities has identified ethylene glycol—a viscous, toxic industrial coolant—as the agent behind the cluster of deaths in Rajamahendravaram. The chemical, typically reserved for automotive antifreeze or industrial chilling, leaked into a batch of milk distributed on February 15 and 16, 2026.
"Ethylene glycol is soluble in water and milk. It got mixed with the milk due to leakage from the milk container," stated Kirthi Chekuri, East Godavari Collector.
The toll of the contamination currently stands at 10 dead from acute renal failure, while 10 others remain hospitalized. Among those fighting the toxicity are three infants. The poison reached 110 families through a single distribution node.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Confirmed Deaths | 10 individuals |
| Toxic Agent | Ethylene Glycol (Non-food grade) |
| Pathology | Acute Renal Failure (Kidney collapse) |
| Primary Source | Addala Ganeswara Rao (Vendor) |
| Origin Point | Varalakshmi Dairy / Lalacheruvu area |
The Mechanics of Contamination
The failure originated in the chilling infrastructure. In standard dairy operations, operators should use propylene glycol, a food-safe alternative. Instead, the forensic team discovered the presence of the more aggressive ethylene glycol in the cooling jackets.
A structural breach allowed the coolant to seep directly into the milk storage tanks.
The vendor, Addala Ganeswara Rao, collected milk from 46 dairy farmers and processed it through this compromised unit.
Families in Vombay Colony and Chowdeeswar Nagar had relied on this specific supplier for nearly ten years without prior incident.
Medical Response and Observation
Patients presented with sudden kidney cessation. Health Commissioner G Veerapandian confirmed that victims included a six-year-old boy and a 58-year-old woman who died despite medical intervention.
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State health teams screened hundreds of houses to map the consumption pattern.
Epidemiological evidence suggests the poisoning was confined to the batch refrigerated during a specific window of mechanical failure.
Laboratory tests at the Veterinary Biological Research Institute (VBRI) in Vijayawada initially ruled out urea and infectious diseases, narrowing the search to chemical toxicology.
Context of the Collapse
The dairy unit has been sealed by police, and the vendor remains in custody. While the state has announced ex-gratia payments for the survivors, the incident exposes a grit-filled reality of the unregulated cold chain in the district.
February 15-16: The contaminated milk is delivered.
February 23: First four deaths reported; hospitals note unusual renal patterns.
February 25: Death toll reaches 6; FSSAI demands a report.
Current: 10 dead; forensic probe confirms the coolant leak as the definitive cause.
The FSSAI has initiated statewide milk safety checks to verify if other small-scale chilling units are substituting food-grade coolants with cheaper, lethal industrial alternatives.