By Shuriah Niazi
NEW DELHI (AA) – At least eight people have died in the eastern Indian state of Bihar after allegedly consuming poisonous bootleg liquor.
According to local media, some people consumed toxic bootleg alcohol late Tuesday night in Bihar's Saran district, after which their health began to deteriorate. They were transported to a nearby hospital.
Saran District Magistrate Rajesh Meena told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that eight people have died so far, and that the police have launched investigations. Eight others are being treated at Sadar Hospital in Chhapra, he added.
"Their viscera samples are being collected, which will be examined by a lab in Muzaffarpur city," Saran Civil Surgeon Dr. Sagar Dulal Sinha told Anadolu Agency. “Only then can we determine the cause of death," he added.
The sale and consumption of liquor have been completely banned in Bihar since April 2016.
Last week, local media reported the deaths of 11 persons in the same district as a result of consuming spurious booze.
Meanwhile, opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators in Bihar's Legislative Assembly on Wednesday attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the fatalities. The BJP lawmakers blamed him for the state's hooch incidents.
According to official figures, state law enforcement agencies recovered four million liters of bootleg alcohol this year and registered more than 138,000 cases.