India alcohol deaths

Over 100 dead from drinking toxic home-brew

Article published on the 2009-07-10 Latest update 2009-07-11 11:10 TU

A street in Ahmedabad
(Photo: Wikimedia commons)

Toxic alcohol has killed 107 people after they drank the home-brew at a party in Gujarat, western India, according to local police.

The death toll rose to 107 on Friday, police said, after reporting 86 on Thursday.

Senior police officer Abhay Chudasama said that 194 other people are being treated in hospitals in Ahmedabad, the main city in Gujarat.

Deaths from drinking cheap liquor are common in India, where many people are too poor to afford licensed alcohol. In Gujarat, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi, the problem may be worse as state law prohibits the sale or consumption of alcohol.

The Press Trust of India reported that more than 800 bootleggers have been arrested in an attempt to crack down on illegally brewed drink.