Death toll rises to 54 in India liquor tragedy

A government official reported on Saturday ( Jun 22 ) that the death toll from drunken alcohol in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu has increased to 54 as a result of the consumption of tainted liquor. More than 100 people are still hospitalized.

Nearly 200 individuals have been treated since Wednesday for diarrhea, stomach aches and diarrhea, after drinking wine spiked with alcohol in the city of Kallakurichi, about 250km from Chennai, the state funds.

Law enforcement officials investigating the event have arrested seven people, said M. S. Prasanth, a top area standard, adding that observe- up action was being taken against liquor sellers and brewers in the district.

Deaths from fraudulently produced alcohol, frequently called country wine, are a normal event in India, where few can afford labeled spirits, despite public requirements for a crackdown on the sellers.

The state government announced that it was looking into the people responsible for the production of alcohol, a carcinogenic substance that is typically used for commercial purposes.