Five killed after consuming illicit liquor

LUCKNOW - At least five people were killed and 16 others fell ill Wednesday after they allegedly consumed spurious liquor in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi district, officials said.

“Those who died or fell ill after consuming illicit liquor are residents of Saidpur village,” District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar told reporters in Varanasi city, 250 km from here.

“Preliminary investigations reveal that the residents of the Saidpur village had purchased pouches of liquor from a man of the same village involved in manufacturing illicit liquor,” he added.

According to police, the bootlegger is absconding.

“Teams have been constituted to nab the man, who is primarily responsible for the incident,” said a police officer.

Traditionally, spurious liquor is made by using jaggery, alum, ammonium chloride and choice of essence for a good flavour. But when instead of ethyl alcohol, methanol is used to add punch to the locally-made brew, it mostly turns lethal when consumed.