Bootleg Booze Kills 126 In Eastern India

An illegal batch of alcohol that had been laced with toxic methanol has killed at least 126 people in the east Indian state of West Bengal - but the number of dead is expected to rise.

More than 100 people are being treated in hospital for cardiac and respiratory problems and some will not survive.

The men had all visited illegal drinking houses in villages about 30km south of the city of Kolkata.

Anwar Hassan Mullah, who took six people to hospital, told the NDTV News Channel: "It is a very sad thing that has happened. Why have the police not stopped this? I cannot understand? What connection do they have?"

Villagers have alleged the drinking dens were run by the police. The authorities have launched an investigation.

West Bengal's chief minister Mamata Banerjee said: "I want to take strong action against those manufacturing and selling illegal liquor... but this is a social problem also, and this has to be dealt with socially."

Four people were arrested and a number of drinking dens have been destroyed.

The dead are all from the poorest section of society and are mainly labourers, hawkers or rickshaw pullers.

Legal alcohol in India is extremely expensive for men who earn little more than £1 a day.

Bootleg alcohol is relatively cheap, costing about 20p a litre. It is estimated two thirds of all alcohol drunk in India is bootleg.

But it is not a safe habit. It kills hundreds of people every year.

The batch involved in this latest tragedy contained a large percentage of toxic methanol, which is can be used in anti-freeze or as a fuel.

In 2009, 150 people were killed in the state of Gujarat in one incident.

Alcohol abuse is rising amongst Indians generally. According to the Lancet, 5% of India's population - or 60 million people - are alcoholics.