19 die after drinking spurious liquor in India, 19 arrested

19 die after drinking spurious liquor in India, 19 arrested

At least 19 people have died in India's northeastern state of Nagaland over the past two days after drinking suspected spurious liquor. Police said eight died in Mokokchung district and 11 in Tuensang district. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to investigate the incident.

Senior Nagaland police official Vesupra Kejo said the SIT, formed under the leadership of Additional Superintendent of Police I Banglang Chang, will look into the cause of death as well as trace the source and supply chain of the suspected liquor. The investigation is also examining where the illegal liquor came from and who is involved in its production and supply.

After drinking suspected illegal liquor in Mangkolomba and surrounding areas of Mokokchung district, several people fell ill. Eight of them later died. After the incident, police arrested 19 people in raids at various places. Around 3,000 bottles of liquor were seized at that time.

On the other hand, deaths also occurred in Tuensang district. Police said many of the deceased had consumed liquor before falling ill. They showed various symptoms, including dizziness, blurred vision, severe headache and breathing difficulties. However, spurious liquor is not being definitively blamed as the cause of death until the forensic examination results are available.

Liquor and various related samples have been sent to a forensic laboratory in Guwahati, India, to determine the actual cause of death. Police said some important leads have been found in the investigation. However, those details are not being disclosed now in the interest of the investigation.

In Nagaland, the production, sale, storage and consumption of liquor are prohibited under the Nagaland Liquor Total Prohibition Act, 1989. The law has been in effect since 1990. Despite the prohibition, law enforcement agencies have conducted various raids against the supply of illegal liquor in the state.

After the incident, police advised the public not to drink liquor from unknown, unlabelled or suspicious sources. They called for going to hospital quickly if symptoms such as dizziness, blurred vision, breathing difficulties or loss of consciousness appear after drinking liquor.