Diners vomited and spat blood after being given dry ice as an after-meal mouth freshener, police say

• A hotel restaurant manager in India has been arrested after diners spat up blood.
• Police say that a waiter served after-dinner mouth fresheners containing dry ice.
• Dry ice, if ingested, can cause internal organ damage.

Police in Gurugram in northern India arrested a hotel restaurant manager on Tuesday after social media footage appeared to show diners spitting up blood after a meal.

According to BBC News, police say the restaurant served diners after-dinner mouth fresheners containing dry ice.

The hotel restaurant manager was charged with causing harm by poison, The Hindu reported.

Surender Sheoran, Manesar's assistant commissioner of police, told the ANI news agency that five people became unwell immediately after consuming the after-dinner mouth fresheners at Laforestta Cafe over the weekend.

Sheoran told ANI that the diners "started vomiting and had a burning sensation in their mouth" after consuming the mouth fresheners.

Police told BBC News that their mouths then started to bleed.

Prolonged exposure to or ingesting dry ice, a solid form of carbon dioxide used as a cooling agent, can cause frostbite, respiratory issues, and internal organ damage.

Videos circulating on Indian social media appeared to show the diners screaming in agony.

Kumar, one of the diners, said he later showed the mouth freshener to a doctor, who confirmed it was dry ice, per The Hindu.

According to The Hindu, Kumar also accused restaurant staff of abandoning them instead of providing help.

BBC News reported that police are conducting a forensic analysis to confirm if the mouth freshener contained carbon dioxide.

The outlet said a search is underway for the restaurant's owner.