Officials on Monday said two people were killed, and two others lost their eyesight after consuming spurious liquor in India’s eastern state of Bihar.

In April this year, suspected toxic liquor consumption in the state killed over 30 people.

The deaths were reported from the Qazi Mohammadpur police station area in Muzaffarpur district, about 72km north of Patna, the capital city of Bihar.

“We have received information about two deaths at Pokharia Pir locality. The family members of the deceased said that three days back, these people returned home drunk, following which they took ill and subsequently succumbed to their illness during treatment,” the police explained. 

The police added, “Two other people of the same locality are reported to have lost eyesight following the consumption of the liquor.”

Police have ordered investigations and are trying to locate the persons who sold the liquor, as a campaign has been launched against illicit liquor suppliers in the district.

“The number of affected people could increase further as police and district administration have launched door-to-door searches in the area to find people who have fallen ill after consuming spurious liquor,” the police official said.

The recent deaths highlighted the sale of spurious liquor in an otherwise dry state, where the sale and consumption of liquor are strictly prohibited under law.

The sale and consumption of liquor were prohibited in Bihar state in 2016 after women’s groups campaigned against poor workers squandering their meagre earnings on alcohol consumption.

Despite the prohibition, deaths due to the consumption of illicit liquor in the state are reported often.

In December 2022, over 90 people were killed, and many others were hospitalised following the consumption of tainted bootleg liquor in the state.

(Xinhua/NAN)