NEW DELHI, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 11 people were killed and 30 others fell ill after drinking toxic liquor in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, officials said Saturday.
The deaths have been reported from different localities under Maker police station area of Saran district, about 55 km north of Patna, the capital city of Bihar.
"Nine residents of Bhatha village and two people belonging to Ramdaspur village have died after allegedly consuming toxic liquor," an official at the Saran collectorate said.
According to locals, the victims drank locally made liquor on Wednesday evening and then they complained of uneasiness, stomach pain, blurred eyesight and vomiting.
"Thirty others fell ill and 17 people lost their eyesight. Eighteen are undergoing treatment in Chapra Sadar hospital and Patna Medical College Hospital," the state-run broadcaster All India Radio said.
"Five people have been arrested in this regard and over 2,000 liters of spurious liquor was confiscated," the broadcaster added.
The local government has launched a probe into the incident.
Bihar is a dry state that has completely banned the sale and consumption of alcohol since 2016. However, deaths from drinking illicit liquor in the state are often reported.
Last month, over 40 people were killed and nearly 100 others fell ill after drinking toxic liquor in the western Indian state of Gujarat, where alcohol consumption has been prohibited since 1960. ■