TAMIL NADU: The death toll from consuming toxic illegal alcohol in Tamil Nadu has escalated to 53, with the Indian media reporting additional fatalities among hospitalized victims on Sunday.
The incident involves a locally produced arrack drink adulterated with deadly methanol, which claimed 37 lives within hours of consumption last Tuesday.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin identified the lethal addition of methanol to the brew, which can cause severe health issues such as blindness, liver damage, and death. Following the incident, over 100 individuals were urgently admitted to hospitals; however, the condition of some was beyond medical rescue.
The tragedy is among the most severe in recent years, underscoring the ongoing issue with illicit liquor in India, where hundreds succumb annually to spirits from unregulated distilleries.
Local reports highlight the plight of laborers in Kallakurichi district, who commonly purchase this cheap liquor in plastic bags for 60 rupees ($0.70) before work. The devastating effects were immediate for some, leading to blindness and death, with others collapsing in the streets.
Shankar, a motorized rickshaw driver from the affected area where 23 people died, told the Indian Express, “The men work just to drink, and the women run the family.”
M.S. Prasanth, a senior government official in Kallakurichi, confirmed the death toll on Saturday, with the Press Trust of India noting that seven individuals have been arrested in connection to the distribution of this spurious liquor. Meanwhile, other reports suggest the death toll might be as high as 55, though these figures have yet to be officially confirmed.
Kolanji, a domestic helper whose husband was among the deceased, shared with the Indian Express that many resort to this hazardous moonshine as they cannot afford legally sold alcohol. “They start buying packets early in the morning,” she remarked.
This incident adds to a series of fatal poisonings across India, where prohibition in several states fuels a black market thriving on the sale of potent and often lethal homemade alcohol. Last year, a similar outbreak in Bihar claimed 27 lives, and in 2022, Gujarat reported 42 deaths due to toxic alcohol consumption.
