India Assam liquor tragedy rises to 114 death

At least 72 more people succumbed to alcohol poisoning in two districts of Assam on Saturday, taking the death toll to 114 in what has turned into one of the worst episodes of mass hooch deaths in recent years.

The deaths, mostly of tea estate workers in Golaghat and Jorhat districts, came less than two weeks after tainted liquor killed about 100 people in the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Parimal Suklabaidya, Assam’s excise minister, said the tragedy happened despite clear instructions to district officials to be extra vigilant following the episode in the northern states that took place in the second week of this month.

Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, on Tuesday ordered top officials to ensure “a complete ban on sale of illegal liquor” and take steps to arrest and punish the guilty. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the dead and Rs 50,000 to those undergoing treatment.

The police has detained 12 persons so far in connection with the incident, out of which three who had consumed the alcohol had to be hospitalised, according to Mukesh Agarwal, the additional director general of police, law and order.

According to Agarwal, 114 persons have succumbed to alcohol poisioning so far, including 71 from Golaghat district and 43 from mostly Borhola area of Jorhat district.