Bad batch of home-brewed alcohol kills 25 people in rural India

At least 25 people died in the northern Indian state of Bihar after drinking toxic homemade liquor, the latest such tragedy in the South Asian country.

Twenty people died in Siwan district and five in Saran. At least 49 people were still undergoing treatment, the Hindustan Times reported, quoting state police chief Alok Raj.

Authorities warned the death toll could rise.

The sale and consumption of alcohol has been banned in Bihar since April 2016.

Family members of the victims in Siwan told police they had consumed the toxic liquor on Monday and Tuesday, the New Indian Express reported.

Shortly after drinking it, the victims, aged between 21 and 40 years, developed stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, and loss of vision, the relatives said.

Preliminary investigations indicate the liquor was tainted with poisonous methyl alcohol, police said.

In the wake of the deaths, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar met with Mr Raj and officials of the state’s Excise and Prohibition Department. He told them to visit the affected areas to assess the situation firsthand and called for strict action against those found responsible for the incident.

“Two special investigation teams have been formed in the wake of this incident," Mr Raj told news agency PTI. ”The one set up at the local level will be looking into the criminality involved in the latest episode. Another set up by the Department of Prohibition will carry out a comprehensive study of all such incidents that have taken place in the recent past based on which a plan of action will be drawn.”

He said police had arrested 12 people in connection with the deaths.

Saran district magistrate Mukul Kumar Gupta said the families of the victims would need to pledge support for the state’s liquor ban to receive ex-gratia payment of Rs 400,000 (£3,644) each.

The tragedy led to criticism from opposition leaders who lambasted Mr Kumar and his ruling alliance for the rising incidents of deaths from spurious liquor.

“More than 30 people have died and several others have lost their vision, but the CM has not even expressed condolence so far,” the state’s leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav said.

“This is murder. The incidents are repeating and liquor is available everywhere. The mafia has protection to unleash such trauma in society.”

Congress party’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra emphasised the “rampant illegal trade of spurious liquor” despite the ongoing prohibition.

In defence of the government, a spokesperson for the ruling Janata Dal United said the opposition’s language only emboldened the mafia.

“The government always deals with such elements sternly and more steps will be taken to nail the liquor mafia,” Arvind Nishad said.

Incidents of deaths from illegally brewed alcohol aren’t uncommon in India.

Nearly 50 people died in June after consuming spurious liquor in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. At least 22 people had similarly died in the same state in May 2023 and more than 70 in December 2022.

That same year, at least 46 people died and nearly 100 were taken to hospital after drinking spurious alcohol in the western state of Gujarat.