Spurious liquor claims three lives in Bihar's Gopalganj

Three persons died and five others were seriously ill after they consumed poisonous liquor in Bihar's Gopalganj district, police said on Wednesday.

The incident took place a week after eight persons lost their lives in a similar incident in Muzaffarpur's Repura village.

According to their families, the men had consumed liquor on Tuesday evening and their health deteriorated in the night.

A relative of one of the deceased Santosh Shah informed police that he had consumed liquor in the evening.

"When his health deteriorated, we rushed him to a hospital in Motihari town where he died," he said.

Besides him, seven more persons were admitted in a hospital in Motihari. Two more succumbed during the treatment.

Dr Nawal Kishore Chaudhary, the district Magistrate of Gopalganj said, "Three persons have died in mysterious circumstances in Mohammadpur village. We have directed health officials to investigate the incident and submit the report at the earliest. The actual reason of death will be ascertained after the post-mortem report."

The use, consumption, trade and transportation of liquor in Bihar has been banned since April 2016. Despite that, violations frequently take place in the several districts of the state.

According to an official of the liquor prohibition department of Bihar police, five persons died in Katra block and two in Manihari in Muzaffarpur district in February.

A person was killed in Raja Pakad block in Vaishali district in March. Sixteen persons died in Loria block under West Champaran district in July, two died in Bhakhri in Begusarai district.

The official said that a total 66 persons died after consuming poisonous liquor in different districts of Bihar in 2021.