Tainted liquor consumption kills dozens in southern India

At least 36 people have died and dozens have been hospitalised after consuming tainted liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, a government spokesperson said.

Since Wednesday more than 100 people, suffering from vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhea, have been admitted to hospitals in the Kallakurichi district, 250 km by road from the state capital Chennai, the spokesperson said on Thursday.

The state government suspended at least 10 officials, including the district's collector and police chief, over the illicit liquor incident, according to a statement.

"I was shocked and saddened to hear the news. Action has also been taken against the officials who failed to prevent it," Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K Stalin said in a post on X.

Police arrested four people over the sale of illicit liquor and seized 200 litres of the methanol-mixed alcoholic drink, the state government said.

Deaths from illegally produced alcohol, known locally as "hooch" or "country liquor", are a regular occurrence in India , where many cannot afford branded spirits.

The Tamil Nadu government said it was also taking steps to identify people involved in the production of methanol - a toxic chemical normally used for industrial purposes.

A video from ANI showed healthcare officials carrying patients in ambulances at a hospital while another shot showed several people standing outside a mortuary in Kallakurichi.

More than a dozen people died last year in a similar incident in a nearby district in Tamil Nadu.

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Source: TRT