Deaths from illicit liquor in India rise to 66
The number of people killed in India’s financial hub Mumbai after consuming toxic alcohol has climbed to 66.
Local police authorities had said earlier that 35 residents of a city slum in the Malad area died after drinking the toxic beverage. Officials added that several more deaths were recorded overnight on Saturday as a result of the incident, increasing the death toll to 66.
According to local reports, slum dwellers in the city’s Malvani district fell sick after drinking the poisonous brew on Wednesday, and at least 41 people perished on Thursday and Friday.
Six people suspected of involvement in smuggling and marketing the poisonous beverage were arrested, said Mumbai police spokesman Dhananjay Kulkarni.
Deaths as a result of drinking toxic alcohol are a regular occurrence in India, where people often drink cheap, illegally-brewed liquor.
At least 29 people were killed after consuming toxic alcohol in Uttar Pradesh State in January, while nearly 170 people perished in 2011 in the eastern state of West Bengal due to the same reason.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 725 people died after consuming poisonous alcohol in 2012, compared to 1128 individuals in 2011.
MFB/HJL/HRB
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