The death toll from tainted liquor drinking in India’s southern state of Tamil Nadu has risen to 54, with more than 100 people still hospitalised, according to a government official on Saturday.
Since Wednesday, about 200 people have been treated for vomiting, stomach aches, and diarrhea after drinking methanol-laced whiskey in the region of Kallakurichi, around 250 kilometers (150 miles) from the state capital, Chennai.
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Law enforcement officials investigating the incident have arrested seven people, according to a senior district official, who also stated that additional action is being taken against booze distributors and brewers in the district.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the deaths in Kallakurichi in Tamil Nadu, 250 litres of illicit liquor were seized and disposed off in the state’s Tiruchirapalli district.
Tiruchirapalli District Collector Pradeep Kumar and Superintendent of Police Varun Kumar took the action based on intelligence on Friday night, according to police.
Pradeep Kumar, the district collector, interacted with people and educated them on the dangers of illicit booze.
Addressing a session of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Chief Minister MK Stalin stated that the state government will cover all educational and hostel expenses for children who have lost one or both of their parents in the Kallkurichi tragedy.
