At least 21 people have died and 30 others have fallen ill after drinking adulterated alcohol in western India, authorities said on Tuesday.
The deaths occurred in Ahmedabad and Botad districts in Gujarat state, where the manufacture, sale and consumption of liquor are prohibited, said Mukesh Parmar, a senior government official. At the time it was unknown what chemical was used to adulterate the alcohol.
The Press Trust of India news agency reported that police have arrested several suspects for their involvement in the sale of the product.
Deaths from illegally brewed alcohol are common in India, where the underground liquor is cheaper and often laced with chemicals like pesticides to increase its potency.
Illicit liquor has also become a very lucrative industry across the country, with smugglers paying no taxes and selling huge amounts of product to the poor at low prices.
In 2020, at least 120 people died after drinking adulterated liquor in the northern state of Punjab.