Death toll from India's hooch tragedy over 100
Xinhua | Updated: 2019-02-11 19:36
NEW DELHI - The death toll from the hooch tragedy that hit India's Northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand three days ago has exceeded 100, official sources confirmed on Monday.
While 67 people died in Uttar Pradesh, 37 people have been killed in neighbouring Uttarakhand. It is learnt that the illicit liquor was supplied to Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh.
After a statewide crackdown, as much as 79,000 litres of country made liquor have been seized across the states so far.
Over 200 people have been arrested so far on the charge of making and selling illicit liquor.
As a punitive action, the Uttar Pradesh government has suspended two senior state government officials in connection with the hooch tragedy. The state government also announced a probe by a special investigation team (SIT) into the deaths, most of which occurred in Saharanpur and Kushinagar districts of Uttar Pradesh.
The five-member SIT has been asked to specifically focus on any conspiracy angle and submit its report within 10 days.
