26 dead, 40 hospitalised in Assam hooch tragedy, CM orders inquiry
Guwahati, Feb 22 (IBNS): At least 26 people, including 11 women, have died and 40 others hospitalised after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in a tea garden in Assam’s Golaghat district.
The incident took place at Halmira tea garden area, about five kilometres from the district headquarters.
According to the reports, the victims are from Halmira tea garden area and they were admitted at hospital after taking ill since Thursday evening.
Locals said that, at least 62 persons mostly tea garden labourers, fell critically ill consumed hooch and they were admitted at hospital.
On Thursday evening, four critically ill women were died at hospital and on Friday 22 more deaths were reported.
Meanwhile, 40 persons are presently admitted at hospital in Golaghat and Jorhat and their treatments are going on.
Locals alleged that, the spurious liquor have been supplied from outside and some excise department personnel are also involved with it.
“Several tea garden labourers have been died after consuming spurious liquor. Locals alleged that, these liquor were supplied from outside. The government, excise department always said that, they are trying to ban illicit liquor, but it didn’t,” a local resident said.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered an inquiry into the tragedy.
While expressing concern over the death of people including women allegedly died due to alcohol poisoning in Golaghat district, Sonowal has instituted a one man inquiry and asked Upper Assam Division Commissioner Julie Sonowal to inquire into the corollaries of events leading to the death of people.
The modus operandi of the inquiry will be study the circumstances and other related causative factors and prepare a report and submit the same to the government.
The Assam CM also asked Minister Topon Kumar Gogoi, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and MLA Mrinal Saikia to rush to the spot to assess and quell the situation arising out of the death of liquor poisoning.
On the other hand, the state excise department has suspended two department officers and initiated a departmental probe.
Assam state excise department PRO Sailen Pandey said that, so far 22 persons have been died in the incident and many others are admitted at Golaghat civil hospital and Jorhat Medical College hospital.
“The state excise department has suspended two department officers following direction of excise minister Parimal Suklabaidya. The minister has also asked the Additional Commissioner of Excise and three other top officials to rush to the area and initiated an inquiry. The minister asked the probe committee to submit its report within three days,” Sailen Pandey said.
(By Hemanta Kumar Nath, Guwahati)
Image: Google Maps
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