Death toll from toxic alcohol in India rises to 47, 100 hospitalized

Forty-seven people have died after consuming illicit liquor in the state’s Kallakurichi district, the Tamil Nadu state healtheducation director said on June 21. The official said 118 people are still being treated in hospitals.

Earlier on June 19, more than 150 people suffered from vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea and had to be treated after drinking methanol-mixed alcohol produced in Kallakurichi district, about 250 km from the state capital Chennai.

Bodies of people who died after drinking toxic alcohol are cremated in Kallakurichi, Tamil Nadu state, India, June 20. Photo: Reuters

The state government said on June 20 that police arrested four people for illegally selling liquor and seized 200 liters of alcoholic beverages, adding that they had taken disciplinary action against 10 officials for failing to prevent it.

Deaths from illegally produced alcohol are common in India, where many people cannot afford branded alcohol.

The Tamil Nadu state government said it is taking steps to identify those involved in the production of methanol - a toxic chemical commonly used for industrial purposes.

Media videos showed mass cremations of the dead, and families conducting final burial rites just metres apart, reminiscent of scenes in India at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, a similar incident occurred in a nearby Tamil Nadu district that left more than a dozen people dead.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/so-nguoi-tu-vong-vi-ruou-doc-o-an-do-tang-len-47-hon-100-nan-nhan-van-nam-vien-post300257.html