Over 80 people in India died from suspected alcohol poisoning

The death toll from bootleg liquor poisoning in Saran district has risen to 74 after the district reported 15 new deaths, while Siwan and Begusarai districts also reported five and two deaths due to similar causes, AIR reported.

Earlier, on December 13, Saran district, 60 km northwest of Patna, the capital of Bihar state, reported many deaths after drinking spurious liquor. According to AIR, the death toll is expected to rise as 30 people are currently being treated in hospitals for suspected alcohol poisoning, of which 12 are in critical condition. About 25 people have lost their eyesight after drinking spurious liquor.

Saran district officials said they have arrested 213 people in connection with the illegal liquor trade and seized a large quantity of liquor of unknown origin. Meanwhile, two policemen have also been suspended pending investigation into the incident. The Bihar government has formed a special investigation team to probe the incident in Saran district.

Bihar banned the sale and consumption of alcohol in 2016, but deaths from bootleg alcohol poisoning continue to be a regular occurrence. Bans on the sale and consumption of alcohol are in place in several states in India, which has led to a thriving black market for alcohol. Black market alcohol is produced in illegal distilleries and is cheap, resulting in hundreds of deaths each year from alcohol poisoning. According to the International Wine and Spirits Association of India, an estimated 5 billion liters of alcohol are consumed in the country each year, of which about 40% is produced illegally. Counterfeit alcohol is often mixed with industrial alcohol methanol, which if consumed can cause blindness, liver damage, and even death.

According to VNA