Killer hooch claims 148 lives in Bengal, govt orders CID probe

Grief overtook West Bengal's Sangrampur and neighbouring villages as the toll in the state's worst-ever illicit liquor tragedy leapfrogged to 148 amid fears of further rise in casualties with over 100 victims including labourers, rickshaw-pullers and hawkers still battling for life in three hospitals.

The victims fell ill after consuming spurious liquor from several illegal joints on Tuesday night. Preliminary investigations suggest that the deaths occurred due to methyl alcohol toxicity which led to respiratory and cardiac failure.

Officials said that 119 deaths were reported alone in Diamond Harbour sub-divisional hospital, followed by MR Bangur (23) rpt (23) and National Medical College and Hospital(6).

Condition of about 50 victims was critical in the three hospitals, doctors said adding the toll is likely to go up.

"Many are still battling for life in the three hospitals after consuming spurious liquor and we have made all arrangements for treatment of the victims," the Chief Medical Officer Health (CMOH) Shikha Adhikary said.

The issue figured in the state Assembly with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announcing a CID inquiry into the tragedy which took place less than a week after the major fire in AMRI which left 93 dead.

Police said that 10 arrests were made in connection with the worst-ever hooch tragedy in the state.

The chief minister said the owner of the liquor den Badshah Khokon, named in the FIR, was absconding.

She said that something toxic was mixed in the liquor, while police said that pesticide was mixed with methyl alcohol which proved fatal.