Amritsar Hooch Tragedy: 15 Dead, Dozen Critical; Death Toll Likely to Rise

Amritsar Hooch Tragedy Leaves 15 Dead, Scores in Critical Care; Death Toll Likely to Further Increase

Amritsar, October 2023 — Tragedy has struck 15 people who succumbed after drinking spurious liquor in villages belonging to Punjab’s Amritsar district under Majitha block. About 10 more people are now in critical condition with officials indicating the death toll was likely to be higher as inquiries were underway.

The majority of the victims were from the villages of Bhangali Kalan, Thariewal, Sangha, and Marari Kalan. Those who were in critical condition have been shifted to the Amritsar Civil Hospital, where medical staff are putting in all efforts to rescue them.

District administration, headed by Amritsar Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, went to the hospital to evaluate the scenario in person. She attested to the macabre death count and reported that the number of casualties may increase as more details are established.

All the victims bought the illegal liquor from one source on Sunday night, according to police reports. Some of the victims died early Monday morning, and unfortunately, local residents are said to have cremated some of the victims without reporting to authorities. Authorities have received information that some people initially reported that the victims had died of heart attacks, hiding the actual cause of death.

Majitha SHO Aabtaab Singh disclosed that police were informed about the deaths late on Monday. In a quick action, two FIRs have been filed against the key suppliers, Prabhjit Singh and Sahib Singh, who were arrested from Rajasansi. Four other accused, who are suspected to have purchased and sold the liquor in the villages, have also been arrested. The police are currently investigating other states to determine and arrest companies involved in providing the illegal liquor.

This tragedy is similar to a previous incident five years back, when the area was shaken by a large hooch tragedy in Tarn Taran, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur districts. In that case, around 130 people died, and around a dozen people were left with permanent blindness after drinking spurious liquor in July and August 2020. Tarn Taran district itself had reported around 80 deaths in that case.

Authorities still clamp down on illegal suppliers of liquor and urge residents to stay alert and report any illicit activity to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future.