At least 27 Dead After Consuming Toxic Bootleg Liquor in State Where Alcohol Is Prohibited

A boy mixes raw material for preparing a local illicit liquor in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, in Dhoolpet area of Hyderabad, India, Friday, Dec. 16, 2011. On Tuesday, at least 27 people have been reported dead after allegedly consuming a type of local illicit liquor. (Photo: AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)

Officials reported on Tuesday that toxic bootleg liquor has caused the deaths of at least 27 individuals in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, where alcohol is prohibited, according to Barrons.

Police official Jitender Kumar informed AFP that 27 deaths had been reported since Saturday, with the majority of the victims being from impoverished households who had consumed locally produced alcohol referred to as “Desi Daru,” or “Country Liquor.” Per the report, initial investigations into the deaths revealed that poisonous methyl alcohol was mixed with the spirits.

Additional media sources suggest that the death toll may be as high as 40, although these numbers have not yet been confirmed.

Over the past three days, police have arrested 174 individuals in connection with the illegal production, sale and distribution of liquor, according to Barrons. During these raids, over 900 liters of toxic alcohol were confiscated and destroyed.

Because alcohol is illegal in some parts of India, there is a booming black market for bootleg liquor, which frequently contains hazardous ingredients. The desire for inexpensive, locally produced alcohol continues to be great despite official crackdowns, with tragic results for people who use it.

In August 2022, at least 17 people were found dead after consuming a pineapple-flavored gin called City 5. The gin was found to have been made with excessive amounts of methanol, an industrial chemical used in pesticides and gasoline.

Then in September, police in Vijayawada, India, bulldozed over 62,000 liquor bottles in a public crackdown on illicit liquor.

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