Kolkata: In one of the worst hooch tragedies in the recent times in West Bengal, 86 people have died after consuming illegal countrymade liquor in South 24 Parganas district.
According to police, four people have been arrested.
Over a 100 others have been hospitalised. Many of the victims are labourers, rickshaw pullers and hawkers.
A medical team has been rushed to the area and the government has announced Rs 2 lakh as compensation for the family of each victim.
Meanwhile, angry locals vandalised a hooch manufacturing unit in protest.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she was in favour of taking strong action to stop sale of illegal liquor besides dealing with the problem socially.
"I want to take strong action against those manufacturing and selling illegal liquor," she said.
"But this is a social problem also and this has to be dealt with socially also along with action," she said in an interview to a Bengali news channel.
source:ibnlive.in
