Photo Credit: Reuters
At least 34 people have died after consuming toxic bootleg alcohol in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, officials reported. The tragic incident occurred in Kallakuruchi district, where numerous residents fell ill after ingesting the contaminated liquor on Tuesday night
Currently, at least 80 individuals are receiving treatment in hospitals for symptoms including excessive diarrhea, dizziness, headaches, vomiting, nausea, stomach pain, and eye irritation.
Authorities fear the death toll could rise as the investigation continues. Two individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident, and a broader investigation is underway. In response to the tragedy, a senior police official and ten members of the state's prohibition enforcement wing, responsible for preventing the smuggling of illicit alcohol, have been suspended for negligence.
Bootleg alcohol deaths are unfortunately common in India, where illegal distilleries often add methanol—a highly toxic form of alcohol used as an anti-freeze—to their products to increase potency. Even small quantities of methanol can cause blindness, liver damage, and death.
In Kallakuruchi, the toxic concoction was allegedly sold in packets through a local vendor. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced compensation of 1 million rupees ($12,000; £9,425) for the families of the deceased and 50,000 rupees for those hospitalized. "Those involved in the crime have been arrested. Action has also been taken against the officials who failed to prevent it', Stalin wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Opposition parties have criticized the government for its failure to curb the production and distribution of toxic alcohol in the state. "The deaths caused by illicit liquor in the past two years under the DMK [Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam] regime have decelerated Tamil Nadu by four decades, taking us back to the 1980s', stated K. Annamalai, the state chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He demanded the immediate resignation of the minister overseeing the sale of alcohol.
The tragedy has sparked a renewed debate on the effectiveness of current prohibition enforcement and the measures needed to prevent such incidents in the future.
