Illegally brewed alcohol kills dozens in India
At least 29 people have died and dozens more have been taken to hospital after drinking illegally brewed liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
The incident occurred in the Kallakurichi district, where more than 100 people are being treated in various hospitals, top district official MS Prasanth told the Press Trust of India news agency.
He said the number of those in critical condition kept changing, suggesting the death toll could rise.
Ambulances, doctors and specialists from nearby areas were deployed to the district.
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The state’s chief minister, MK Stalin, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that those involved in the crime had been arrested and action had been taken against officials who failed to prevent it.
At least 120 people died in 2020 after drinking tainted liquor in India's Punjab state. Credit: AAP
“Such crimes that ruin the society will be suppressed with an iron fist,” he said.
Deaths from illegally brewed alcohol are common in India, where the poor cannot afford licensed brands from government-run shops.
The illicit liquor is often spiked with chemicals such as pesticides to increase potency.
In 2022, more than 30 people died in eastern India after allegedly drinking tainted liquor.
In 2020, at least 120 people died after drinking tainted liquor in India’s northern Punjab state.