Death toll in liquor tragedy in Assam crosses 110, police arrest over a dozen persons

Correspondent

NewsBits.in

GUWAHATI: The death toll in the spurious liquor tragedy in Assam has crossed 110.

Sources said that the figure has gone up to 114 while hundreds are still in hospital undergoing treatment.

The official death toll yesterday was 94, however, the figure has been going up since then. 

Most of the deaths took place in Golaghat and Jorhat districts of the state. The victims are mostly tea garden workers. The state government has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 2 lakh to kin of each person who lost life due to the poisonous liquor.

This is one of the worst such incidents in the state. However, this incident has occurred barely two weeks after the death of 50 persons due to poisonous alochol consumption in districts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. 

Nearl 200 persons are admitted in the hospitals. Apart from compensation to kin of the dead, the state government has also announced Rs 50,000 to those undergoing treatment. 

After the incident, the State government has once again issued orders and asked for strict implementation of the ban on sale of illegal liquor. Police have so far arrested 12 persons who have been involved in the sale of poisonous liquor.

UPDATE: The figure has crossed 150. By February 25, the number of persons who died due to the poisnous country-made liquor had gone up to 154.