34 die in Saharanpur and Haridwar after drinking hooch in Uttarakahand village; probe launched, 17 suspended

Thirty-four deaths have died from consuming illicit liquor (hooch) in both Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, reports said. According to reports, 16 deaths were reported in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar village while 18 were killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. The victims from the two adjoining districts had allegedly consumed spurious liquor at a village in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar district. The victims had consumed the liquor Thursday evening at the ‘tehravin’ — the 13th day of mourning — to mark a death, officials told PTI. According to ANI, around 42 people in Saharanpur are being treated at a local hospital.

#UPDATE 18 deaths have been reported due to the consumption of illicit liquor in Saharanpur. 42 people being treated at local hospital. Investigation underway.

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) February 8, 2019

PTI said that 16 of the victims died in Uttarakhand’s Balupur village itself. Eighteen more deaths took place in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, which adjoins Uttarakhand, as the people who had attended the mourning ritual returned home. Some of them had carried the liquor home, an official said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences over the deaths. “It is very unfortunate. My deepest condolences to the families of the victims who succumbed to it. I pray for (the) speedy recovery of those fighting for life in hospitals,” Gandhi said in a Facebook post. The Uttarakhand administration has ordered a magisterial probe and suspended 17 personnel of the excise and police departments. In Uttar Pradesh, 16 people have died in Saharanpur and Kushinagar districts over the past few days and the toll might rise, official sources said. With inputs from PTI