Kohima. Following the death of 10 people due to consumption of adulterated liquor in Tuensang, ‘prohibition state’ Nagaland, the state Excise and Prohibition Department has issued a statewide warning against consumption of liquor of unknown or dubious source.
Tuensang police said nine of those who died between September 10 and 12 had direct or indirect links to alcohol consumption, although the cause of death has not yet been conclusively determined. Nagaland Director General of Police (DGP) Rupin Sharma said the victims died due to consumption of adulterated liquor. According to the police, another person committed suicide and the case is being investigated separately.
Media reports quoting local residents suggest that the actual death toll may be much higher, and that some deaths may have gone unreported. An official release said that on September 12, Tuensang police had received reports regarding a series of deaths of people admitted to the Tuensang Civil Hospital.
Police said initial inquiries revealed that in most of the cases the deceased had consumed alcohol before developing symptoms such as blurred vision, severe headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Police said though consumption of adulterated liquor is being considered as a possible cause of the deaths, it could not be scientifically confirmed at this stage.
The statement said that scientific and forensic procedures will be followed as part of the investigation. The statement further said that in most of the cases, post-mortem was not conducted because the bodies had already been taken for cremation before the police got information about the pattern of deaths.
The Tuensang police are conducting a thorough investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the deaths, identify the source and nature of the liquor consumed and determine whether any person or persons were responsible for the incident. The police have also learned that three of the dead were members of the same family, from whose house some of the deceased reportedly purchased liquor.