The death toll from a toxic batch of illegal alcohol in India has risen to 56 people, leaving 117 others in the hospital, according to police on Monday.
Last week, many people in Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu, drank locally made “arrack” contaminated with methanol, leaving 34 people dead and more than 100 hospitalised.
Every year, hundreds of people in India die from consuming cheap alcohol produced in illicit distilleries. To increase its potency, this liquor is often adulterated with methanol, which can cause blindness, liver damage, and death.
“56 people have died so far, and around 117 people are currently under medical treatment,” Rajat Chaturvedi, a top police official, told AFP.
According to reports, political opponents in the state have blamed each other for the deaths, and local opposition politicians protested at the site of the tragedy on Monday.
While Tamil Nadu is not a dry state, black market liquor is sold at lower prices than legally available alcohol. However, in several other parts of India, the sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited, fueling a thriving black market for potent and sometimes deadly homemade spirits.
In 2023, toxic alcohol killed at least 27 people in Bihar, and in 2022, 42 people died in Gujarat.
Indian media reported that poor labourers in Kallakurichi often bought the liquor in plastic bags for 60 rupees ($0.70) to drink before work.
This batch was particularly deadly. While some people went blind, others collapsed in the street and died before reaching the hospital.
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