Many dead after drinking tainted liquor in India

At least 31 people have died and 20 others were hospitalized in serious condition after allegedly drinking tainted liquor sold without authorization in eastern India.

The deaths occurred Tuesday and Wednesday and the victims belonged to three villages in Saran district of Bihar state where the manufacturing, sale and consumption of liquor are prohibited. Several of the 20 hospitalized have lost their eyesight.

Three people have been detained for questioning for allegedly selling spiked alcohol in the area. Deaths from illegally brewed alcohol are common in India, where illicit liquor is cheap and often spiked with chemicals. In 2020, at least 120 people died after drinking tainted liquor in India’s northern Punjab state.