22 Feb 2019; DW: The death toll from the liquor poisoning in India's northeastern Assam state has risen to at least 89, with some reports putting the number even higher.
The owner of a local brewery and 10 more people connected to the manufacture and distribution of the liquor had been detained, local police confirmed Saturday.
At least 200 people were hospitalized after they consumed toxic alcohol on Thursday evening. Officials said that 22 people had already died by Friday evening.
"A total of 89 people have now died in Jorhat and Golaghat districts. Most of them are tea plantation workers from these two areas," Assam Home Commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri told the dpa news agency by phone, adding that the death toll was likely to increase.
Initial investigations revealed that the liquor contained methanol, which could be fatal when consumed in large quantities.
"The people came to the hospital with severe vomiting, extreme chest pain and breathlessness," Ratul Bordoloi, a doctor said.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered an inquiry.
A common occurrence
Nearly 1,000 people die in the country each year after consuming illegally brewed alcohol, the National Crime Records Bureau data show.
Deaths from illegally brewed alcohol are common in India because many poor people cannot afford licensed brands. Illicit liquor is cheap and often spiked with chemicals such as pesticides to increase potency.
Earlier this month, more than 70 people died in the northern Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand after consuming cheap liquor containing poisonous methanol.
