One person died and four others were admitted to the Cuddalore Government Hospital in a critical condition after drinking methanol as a substitute for liquor in Alapakkam here on Tuesday.

According to police sources, Kumaresan, 26, a contract labourer working with a chemical industry in the Cuddalore SIPCOT industrial estate had procured methanol and handed it to one Chandrakasu, 55, of Alapakkam on Sunday.

With liquor shops closed due to the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, Chandrakasu and Kumaresan along with three others — Ezhil Alagan, 35, Sundar Raj, 45 and Mayakrishnan, 42, all hailing from Alapakkam — had diluted the methyl alcohol with water and lime and consumed it on Monday, police said.

The five started vomiting and were rushed to the Cuddalore GH where Chandrakasu succumbed. Hospital sources said methanol was not fit for human consumption and was highly toxic. Further investigations are on.