Almost 100 people have died within days in the state of Punjab (India) after drinking adulterated alcohol. The incident killed 98 people in total, and 25 people were arrested, area officials said on Sunday.
The death toll rose to 75 dead in the district of Tarn Taran after an investigation by the police. Eleven other people died in Gurdaspur district. Indian agency PTI reports twelve deaths in Amritsar.
A juicy and deadly trade
The head of government of the state of Punjab announced on Friday that he had ordered a special investigation into the deaths. The opposition on Twitter called on the local government to "curb the alcohol mafia" in the region. Of the five billion liters of alcohol drunk annually in India, 40% is produced illegally, according to the International Spirits and Wines Association of India.
Traffickers often add methanol, a very toxic product, to their alcoholic beverages in order to increase the alcohol content. Methanol can be blind, cause liver damage, or cause death. Hundreds of people die each year after consuming adulterated alcohol, sold for 10 rupees (13 US cents), affordable even for the poorest.
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