India: Spurious liquor consumption claims 131 lives in West Bengal state

Canning/Kolkata, Dec 15 (PTI) With over 70 more people dying in three hospitals after consuming toxic liquor, the death toll in the hooch tragedy in the South 24 Parganas district of the eastern Indian state of West Bengal today climbed to 131 as police arrested seven persons and the state government ordered an inquiry. Authorities fear that the toll would rise further as at least 50 people are still in a critical state after consuming the spurious liquor yesterday. "The hooch toll has risen to 131 and over 100 are still in three different hospitals, many of whom are still battling for life," South 24-Parganas district Chief Medical Officer (Health) Shikha Adhikari told reporters at Diamond Harbour, Kolkata. The CMO(H) said that condition of at least 50 was still critical. She said that of the 327 victims admitted to Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital, 36 were declared brought dead, 70 later died and 56 were referred to state-run M R Bangur hospital, Kolkata. Nineteen of the 56 victims died in M R Bangur hospital while six died in National Medical College and Hospital, she said. The victims were mostly labourers, rickshaw-pullers and hawkers. They fell ill hours after consuming the illicit liquor since yesterday morning. "Many are still battling for life in the three hospitals after consuming spurious liquor'," the CMO(H) said. Announcing an inquiry by the criminal investigation department into the hooch tragedy in the state assembly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said seven persons had been arrested on the basis of preliminary administrative enquiry into the incident. The chief minister said something toxic was mixed in the liquor and the owner of the liquor den Badshah Khokon, named in the complaint, was absconding. Observing that trade in illicit liquor has been going on for a long time in the state and it is a social problem, the chief minister said an all-party decision must be taken on the steps required to end the menace. Following the deaths in the liquor tragedy, Public Health Engineering Minister Subrata Mukherjee had announced in the state legislative assembly wednesday a compensation of Rupees 200,000 (about USD 4,000) each to the families of the deceased. PTI Caption for pic: Relatives checking with a police official outside a hospital morgue where the bodies of illicit liquor victims were kept in South 24 Parganas on Thursday. PTI Photo