About 21 people have died in India after drinking alcohol, officials said.
The deaths occurred in the Ahmedabad and Botad districts of Gujarat state in western India, according to senior government official Mukesh Parmar, where the production, sale and consumption of alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Another 30 people fell ill as part of the same incident.
The Press Trust of India reported that police in the area have arrested people they believe to be smugglers who were involved in the sale of spiked liquor.
Local Inspector General of Police Ashok Yadda told The Times of India: “A forensic laboratory team and doctors are investigating the alcohol content. We can only confirm the cause of death once we have… an autopsy.”
He added that the police are currently raiding local liquor establishments.
People dying after drinking illegally produced alcohol is common in India, where it is often laced with chemicals such as pesticides and sold at a low price.
It is a very profitable industry in India as smugglers do not pay taxes and divert huge volumes of their products to the poorest in society.
At least 120 people died in 2020 after drinking tainted alcohol in the country’s northern Punjab state.
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