At least 29 people died, and more than 60 were hospitalized on Wednesday after allegedly drinking illicit liquor in Tamil Nadu's Kallakurichi district. The death toll is expected to rise.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin expressed his shock and sadness over the incident. He stated that action had been taken against officials who failed to prevent the tragedy.
In a post on X, Stalin said, “I was shocked and saddened to hear the news of the deaths of people who had consumed adulterated liquor in Kallakurichi. Those involved in the crime have been arrested. Action has also been taken against the officials who failed to prevent it. Immediate action will be taken if the public informs about those involved in such crimes. Such crimes that ruin society will be suppressed with an iron fist.”
K Kannukutti, 49, was arrested after approximately 200 liters of illegal liquor, containing deadly methanol, were seized from him, according to a Tamil Nadu government statement. Stalin has ordered a Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department (CB-CID) investigation for a thorough probe.
The Tamil Nadu government has replaced Kallakurichi district collector Sravan Kumar Jatavath and suspended superintendent of police Samay Singh Meena. Additionally, nine other police officers, including those from the Kallakurichi prohibition wing, have been suspended.
MS Prasanth, the new collector of Kallakurichi district, visited the patients receiving treatment at the Government Medical College Hospital. Rajath Chaturvedi is the district's new police superintendent. Senior ministers EV Velu and Ma Subramanian have been sent to Kallakurichi to assist the affected families. Around 15 people were admitted to Puducherry's Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER).
Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi expressed his condolences and wished the victims a speedy recovery.
The Tamil Nadu Raj Bhavan shared a post stating, “I was very shocked to know that many lives were lost in Kallakurichi due to consumption of counterfeit liquor. Many others are fighting for their lives in critical condition. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and a speedy recovery to those admitted to the hospitals. From time to time, news emerges from different parts of our state about deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor. They reflect continuing shortcomings in curbing illicit alcohol production and consumption. This is a matter of serious concern.”
