At least 34 people have died and over 100 injured in Uttar Pradesh hooch tragedy
Number of deaths in spurious liquor tragedy in Uttar Pradesh's Etah and Farrukhabad rose to 34, police said. Over 100 are reportedly ill after drinking the hooch.
At least 28 people have died in Etah and four in Farrukhabad, following which the five government employees, including three from the excise department, have been suspended, police said.
This locally-made alcohol contains traces of urea and is made in many villages in Etah and neighbouring district. The spurious liquor manufactured in Tapua village in Aliganj area of Etah is being sold in many villages of Farrukhabad also. According to reports, its molasses percolates the ground water in the village.
The authorities have claimed to cease one lakh litre molasses, 400 litres of alcohol within the last few days and 26 people have been arrested.
The two people who were arrested in the connection with the tragedy are 42-year-old Sripal, from Aliganj and his associate 40-year-old Anil.
But the authorities have clarified that the recent deaths were due to methyl alcohol not the locally-made hooch.
"People in this tragedy have ied because of methyl alcohol but both are equally harmful," as senior official told NDTV.