Nine die after consuming suspected spurious liquor in Nagaland

Kohima, Sept 13: At least nine people, including three members of a family, died at the Civil Hospital in Nagaland's Tuensang district over the past three days after allegedly consuming suspected spurious liquor, prompting the state police to issue a red alert and urge people to refrain from consuming liquor obtained from unknown or unauthorised sources, officials said on Sunday.

Police officials said that the victims reportedly complained of breathlessness after consuming the suspected adulterated liquor and subsequently died.

Though the circumstances leading to the deaths are yet to be officially ascertained, Nagaland Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma said that the victims reportedly succumbed to what is suspected to be spurious liquor. An official release said that a total of nine deaths were reported in Tuensang Town and Chendang Saddle on September 10 and 11.

"Based on the information presently available, all the deaths have a direct or indirect circumstantial linkage with alcohol consumption and are being investigated accordingly," it said.

According to the statement, one person, reportedly a family member of the liquor seller, died by hanging, and the circumstances surrounding the death are being investigated separately as a suspected case of suicide.

Tuensang police received reports on Saturday regarding a pattern of deaths involving people who had been admitted to Tuensang Civil Hospital.

Preliminary enquiries revealed that in most of the cases, the deceased had reportedly consumed liquor before developing symptoms such as blurred vision, severe headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. The police said that although consumption of spurious or adulterated liquor is suspected to be a possible cause of the deaths, this cannot be scientifically and conclusively established at this stage. Scientific and forensic procedures will be undertaken as part of the investigation. (IANS)

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