By STAFF Writer
December 15, 2011
Illegal alcohol killed over hundred people in the Indian state of West Bengal. Late Tuesday poor manual workers, hawkers, rickshaw pullers and laborers began falling ill after drinking adulterated batch of bootleg liquor in Mongrahat town of Diamond Harbour, 31 miles south of Kolkata city.
All the 100 dead drank "country liquor" at different makeshift bars which sold the same brand from illicit distillery of Diamond Harbour. Many more are hospitalised for treatment, but the death toll may rise further.
Alcoholism is a significant problem in the country in urban as well as rural India. Liquor poisoning is frequent in the country. At least 130 people died in 2009 in state of Gujarat in similar incident.
Police have arrested four people so far and ten illegal liquor shops have been demolished, said official. It is also reported that angry locals have destroyed the blamed distillery.
In the town one litre of such liquor costs just 10 rupees (about $20) and is often sold door-to-door. A manual laborer in the country earns around 150 rupees (about $3) each day.
West Bengal is one of the poorest state in India. A week ago a hospital fire in its capital Kolkata killed around ninety people. It is believed that the fire started from a carpark area in the basement that was used as a store breaching local regulations.
December 15, 2011 | 0
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