Kolkata Over 40 people died and 100 were hospitalised today after consuming toxic alcohol in a West Bengal village. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the government was contemplating demolition of illegal liquor dens.
Four people have been arrested for supplying the moonshine in Sangrampur village in the South 24-Parganas district. Magrahat is 52 km from Kolkata.
A district health official said the victims died of cardio-respiratory failure due to methyl poisoning.
The tragedy occurred when the villagers drank country liquor Tuesday night in dens near Sangrampur railway station, Nigam said.
Around 2 A.M. people started vomiting and experiencing loose motions and having severe stomach pain .
The death toll could go higher .
Angry residents demolished the illegal liquor dens Wednesday morning.
In Kolkata, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Abdur Rezzak Mollah demanded a statement from the chief minister in the assembly.
In an interview to a private television channel, Banerjee said that the government was contemplating demolition of illegal liquor dens.
“I have seen may people die in hooch tragedies on several occasions. And they keep recurring. I urge help from the society and others to rise above political barriers and help in doing away with this social evil,” she said.
Describing the deaths as “unfortunate”, she said: “We have to run an awareness programme. If the illegal distilleries are regularised the government can earn revenue. But that would be a disservice to the society.”
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