Toll rises to 38 in Indian spurious liquor incident

• Death toll rises to 38 in India’s western state of Gujarat after drinking tainted liquor.
• Alcohol sales and consumption are prohibited in the state, except for those with a government permit.
• In India, where few drinkers can afford branded spirits, deaths from illegally produced alcohol are common.

AHMEDABAD: At least ten more people have died in India’s western state of Gujarat after drinking tainted liquor, bringing the total death toll to 38, state officials said on Wednesday.

In addition to the deaths, police launched an investigation and made six arrests after 51 people were admitted to hospitals in the state’s adjoining districts of Ahmedabad and Botad as a result of Monday’s incident.

“Some of the critically ill hospitalised patients died overnight,” police official Ashok Kumar Yadav told Reuters.

“They had consumed nearly undiluted methyl alcohol, believing it to be liquor.”

Alcohol sales and consumption are prohibited in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state, except for those with a government permit.

A man is brought to a hospital for treatment in Ahmedabad, India, on July 27, 2022, after consuming bogus liquor, according to a doctor. — Reuters

In India, where few drinkers can afford branded spirits, deaths from illegally produced alcohol, also known as hooch or country liquor, are common.

Methyl alcohol, also known as wood alcohol, is toxic to humans and is used in a variety of products ranging from paint thinners to fuel, pesticides, and anti-freeze.