Ahmedabad, India — Drinking altered alcohol in western India killed at least 28 people and made 60 sick, officials said Tuesday.
Mukesh Parmar, a senior government official, said the deaths occurred in the Ahmedabad and Botad districts of Gujarat, banning the production, sale and consumption of alcohol. It was not immediately clear which chemical was used to change the liquor.
Ashish Gupta, Gujarat police chief, said several suspects involved in the sale of spiked alcohol were detained.
Deaths from illegally brewed alcohol are common in India, illegal liquor is cheap, and chemicals such as pesticides are often added to increase potency.
Illegal liquor has also become a very profitable industry throughout India. There, Bootlegger pays no taxes and sells large quantities of products to the poor at low rates.
In 2020, at least 120 people died after drinking contaminated liquor in Punjab, northern India.
By Ajit Solanki
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