2019 Assam alcohol poisonings
{{Short description|Deaths from counterfeit alcohol products in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox event
|date=February 2019
|deaths=156
|cause=Toxic bootleg alcohol
|location=Golaghat and Jorhat districts in Assam
}}
In February 2019, at least 168 people died after drinking toxic bootleg alcohol in Golaghat and Jorhat districts in the Indian state of Assam. The incident occurred two weeks after 100 people died by drinking toxic alcohol in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/11/toxic-alcohol-methanol-india-uttar-pradesh-uttarakhand |title=Toxic alcohol 'laced with methanol' kills at least 99 people in India |author=Agence France-Presse |work=The Guardian |date=2019-02-11 |access-date=2019-02-25|author-link=Agence France-Presse }}
Incident
The poisonings first came to attention on 21 February 2019, when 42 people died shortly after drinking the illegal alcohol.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/13-including-8-women-die-of-alcohol-poisoning-in-assam-s-golaghat-district/story-vDcDWY1XVQUvAzWhW0D6WN.html|title=Bootlegged liquor kills 42 in Assam|date=22 February 2019|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/78-people-dead-in-assam-illicit-liquor-tragedy-1463113-2019-02-23|title=78 people dead in Assam illicit liquor tragedy|newspaper=India Today|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019|agency=Ist}} Over the following days, more people died from the poisoning and many more were admitted to local hospitals.{{cite news |title=Assam hooch tragedy: Death toll rises to 133, over 200 hospitalised |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/assam-hooch-tragedy-death-toll-rises-to-133-over-200-hospitalised-1463709-2019-02-24 |accessdate=24 February 2019 |work=India Today |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |date=24 February 2019 |language=en}} On 24 February 2019, it was reported that a total of 144 people had died and more than 300 were admitted in hospitals making it one of the deadliest alcohol poisonings in the country.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47341941 |title=Assam toxic alcohol deaths |publisher=BBC News}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/23/tainted-alcohol-kills-dozens-tea-plantation-workers-in-india|title=Tainted alcohol kills dozens of people in India|last=Dhillon|first=Amrit|date=23 February 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=24 February 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/assam-golaghat-illicit-liquor-deaths|title=Assam Hooch Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 131 in Golaghat & Jorhat|website=The Quint|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019}} The next day, the death toll had risen to 156.{{cite news |url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/2019/02/463408/india-toxic-alcohol-deaths-jump-156 |title=India toxic alcohol deaths jump to 156 |author=Agence France-Presse |work=New Straits Times |date=2019-02-25 |access-date=2019-02-25|author-link=Agence France-Presse }}
The incident occurred at tea plantations in the districts. Most of the victims were labourers in these plantations. They might have bought the liquor to drink after a day's work in the plantation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/02/23/697317095/bootleg-liquor-kills-scores-in-indias-latest-mass-outbreak-of-alcohol-poisoning|title=Bootleg Liquor Kills Scores In India's Latest Mass Outbreak Of Alcohol Poisoning|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24}}
{{Cquote
| quote = I had bought half a liter of wine and drank it before eating. Initially, everything was normal, but after some time my head started hurting. The headache grew so much that I could not eat or sleep.
| author = One hospitalised worker told BBC
| 2 =
}}
Aftermath
Ten people have been detained for the incident.{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/toll-in-assam-liquor-tragedy-rises-to-114-12-arrested-so-far/story-qfKXSxj2oDOlxEAQJyeUWN.html|title=Toll in Assam liquor tragedy rises to 114; 10 detained so far|date=23 February 2019|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019}}
Assam Government has announced ex-gratia of {{INR}} 200,000 for the dead and {{INR}} 50,000 to those undergoing treatment. The Government is also planning to ban and seize all illicit liquor in the state. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has ordered probe over the incident.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/cm-sarbananda-sonowal-orders-probe-over-alcohol-poisoning-in-golaghat/|title=CM Sarbananda Sonowal Orders Probe Over Alcohol Poisoning In Golaghat|date=2019-02-23|website=The Sentinel|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-24}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Disasters in India in 2019}}
{{Alcohol in India}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assam alcohol poisonings}}
Category:Alcohol-related deaths in India
Category:2019 disasters in India