Bihar: At Least 10 Dead From Hooch Consumption During Holi

Spurious liquor claimed the lives of at least 10 people in two districts of Bihar amid Holi celebrations, police said on Sunday.

Eight deaths were reported from the Bhagalpur district, four of which were from the Sahibganj locality while two others who died were from different villages in Narayanpur police station area of Bihar.

Narayanpur SHO Ramesh Sah said that locals claimed the deaths were caused due to the consumption of spurious liquor, which would be confirmed after post-mortem.

He said that one of the victims had suffered a heart attack while another had fallen while climbing up a ladder.

In addition, one Sahibganj resident reportedly lost his eyesight and is being treated at a hospital while two others died in Madhepura district's Murliganj block where hooch business was rampant, alleged locals.

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The SHO of University police station, Rita Kumari said that consumption of hooch could be confirmed only after an autopsy.

Meanwhile, locals protested on Sunday morning by burning tires on the road which was dispersed with the intervention of police.

A further seven people took ill after consuming illicit liquor and had to be admitted to the local community health centre.

Notably, Bihar was declared a dry state in 2015 but spurious liquor businesses have grown since. Deaths due to hooch witnessed a spurt since Diwali last year, raising questions on the state government which deployed drones and helicopters to crack down on violators.

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