At least eight people died and more than 12 others were hospitalised after allegedly consuming illicit liquor in Baraj village of Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district late Saturday night, prompting the district administration to order a magisterial inquiry.

Police said a group of people from the village consumed liquor on Saturday night and began experiencing nausea and vomiting soon after. They were taken to the hospital where five were declared dead.

“Till now, 8 to 10 deaths have come to my notice,” Sagar Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Devesh Pateria said, as medical teams were deployed across three villages identified as hotspots in the suspected illicit-liquor poisoning.

The health department has stationed teams of doctors and nurses in the affected villages, where they have been conducting door-to-door screening and identifying people who may have fallen ill after consuming liquor. Patients requiring treatment are being stabilised locally before being referred to higher centres, Pateria said.

“We have three teams continuously deployed in the three villages that have emerged as hotspots. Doctors and nurses are going from house to house to identify anyone who is ill, and patients are being referred directly from there whenever required,” he said.

The response intensified after patients began arriving at the casualty ward in Sagar. Pateria said one patient reached the hospital gasping at around 7 pm on Saturday. Doctors attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful.

The symptoms being seen in the patients have raised the possibility of alcohol poisoning, though the health authorities have stopped short of confirming it. “Looking at the symptoms, it could be methyl alcohol poisoning. We cannot say that with certainty at this stage,” Pateria said.

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About 25 patients have so far been referred to higher medical centres, he said. Some patients are being transferred even after being stabilised at the local hospital because they require treatment that is not available there.

“We are stabilising patients here and then referring them because they may require further treatment at a higher centre,” Pateria said.

Medical teams had been working through the night and continued their operations on Sunday, with authorities acknowledging that the number of affected people could still change as screening teams reach more households.

“It (the number of cases) may increase or it may not. We have been making continuous efforts since the morning. In fact, we reached here last night itself and have kept the response going,” he said on Sunday.

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Police have said the tragedy first struck Baraj village where a group of people consumed liquor on Saturday night and condition deteriorated with symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

District magistrate Pratibha Pal said the administration had received reports of illness and deaths allegedly linked to the consumption of illicit liquor and that an investigation was underway at the Civil Hospital. Medical teams and sub-divisional magistrate officials have also been deployed in surrounding areas to screen people for symptoms.

She appealed to anyone experiencing symptoms or anyone who had consumed liquor of any kind in the past 24 to 48 hours to get themselves examined by a doctor. “They can also visit the Civil Hospital or any other health facility for screening,” she said.

Liquor bottles seized from local vend

Following the deaths, an excise department team reached the area and seized liquor bottles from a local vend for forensic examination. The samples will be tested to determine whether the liquor was spurious or contaminated and whether it was linked to the illnesses and deaths.

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The collector has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. Police, excise officials and the district administration are investigating the source of the liquor, while the identities of the deceased are expected to be released after verification.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav directed officials to take prompt and stringent action following the deaths. “I have instructed the minister in charge and directed the officials to act promptly, take the strictest possible action and conduct a thorough investigation. Our government will absolutely not tolerate such incidents,” Yadav said.

The Congress attacked the state government over the deaths, alleging that illicit liquor networks were operating unchecked in Madhya Pradesh. In a statement, the opposition party said, “Poisonous liquor has once again wreaked havoc in Madhya Pradesh,” and claimed that more than half-a-dozen people from four villages had died in Sagar district.

The Congress also alleged that the “rampage of liquor mafias” was claiming lives across the state and accused the Mohan Yadav government of being “directly responsible” for the deaths. It further alleged that the chief minister’s “greed and lax attitude” had put innocent lives at risk.