“I have never felt so helpless in my life. There was nothing anyone could do, not even expert doctors, except watch them slowly die,’’ said Nandini, a relative of B Veeralakshmi, who died of acute renal failure on Thursday. The 60-year-old became the 13th victim of the Rajahmundry milk adulteration incident in Andhra Pradesh that first came to light on February 22, following the death of an elderly woman in Rajamahendravaram of East Godavari District.

“Veeralakshmi was admitted on February 16 at a private hospital. She was on a ventilator support and did not recover from acute renal failure,’’ a police officer said.

The milk adulteration was reported in Chowdeshwari Nagar and Swaroop Nagar in Rajahmundry, where a milk supplier delivers milk every morning to about 100 houses. While the victims consumed the deadly milk between February 11 and 14, and were hospitalised from February 16 with symptoms of anuria (absence of urine output), vomiting, and abdominal pain, the first casualty of the milk adulteration incident was reported at the Kakinada Government Hospital on February 22.

Kirthi Chekuri, East Godavari District Collector, said that police investigation and reports from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) have revealed that the freezer where the milk was stored was damaged, and the toxic coolant liquid, which leaked in the freezer, got mixed with milk and curd.

“Some of the residents did complain about the bitter taste of milk to the supplier, A Ganeshwar Rao, of Varalakshmi Milk Centre at Narasapuram. He found out that the coolant was leaking and got the freezer repaired, but did not inform anyone,’’ Chekuri said.

The coolant has been identified as ‘ethylene glycol’.

Seven people are currently undergoing treatment at various hospitals, the police said.

The police arrested Ganeshwar on February 23 and booked him under Section 194 (unnatural or suspicious death) of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

The police have raided the Varalakshmi Milk Centre at Narasapuram and seized the freezer and other equipment. They said that Ganeshwar used to collect milk from several dairy farmers in Narasapuram village, store it in two freezers, later transfer the milk into cans, and ferry it to the two residential colonies in Rajahmundry every morning.