At least 38 people have died and ten others have fallen ill after drinking adulterated alcohol in the state of Bihar, in western India, a territory where the manufacture, sale and consumption of spirits is prohibited.
According to authorities in Saran district, hospitals in the area began receiving the first patients on Tuesday, who presented with stomach pains, vomiting and blurred vision.
The district police officer, Santosh Kumar, has reported the arrest of a dozen people involved, who are now being questioned in this case of illegal manufacture of alcohol.
Hundreds of people, mostly poor, die each year in India from consuming adulterated alcohol, which is cheaper than commercially produced alcohol but can often lead to poisoning.
Both in Bihar and in other states of the country, the manufacture and sale of alcohol is prohibited, a legislation that, according to critics, only encourages the consumption of adulterated alcohol and its manufacture in illegal distilleries.
