
In Siwan district, 20 people died after consuming illegal liquor, while six others lost their lives in a related incident in Saran district.
The death toll from hooch incidents in BiharтАЩs Siwan and Saran districts has climbed to 26, according to officials on Thursday. In Siwan district, 20 people died after consuming illegal liquor, while six others lost their lives in a similar incident in Saran district. Siwan Superintendent of Police Amitesh Kumar confirmed the deaths in SiwanтАЩs Bhagwanpur, Madhar, and Koundia areas over the last three days.
Postmortems of the 20 victims in Siwan were carried out at the government Sadar Hospital. According to relatives of the victims, they had consumed illicit liquor on Monday and Tuesday, and soon after, they complained of symptoms such as stomach pain, vomiting, nausea, and vision loss.
Siwan health officials reported that 23 individuals have died while receiving treatment, and their postmortems have been completed. Four others in critical condition have been transferred to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) for better care. The victims were between 21 and 40 years old.
In the neighboring Saran district, six people died after drinking illicit alcohol in villages within the Masarakh police station area, with four deaths specifically reported from Ibrahimpur village. Saran SP Kumar Ashish stated that nine individuals involved in illicit liquor trading have been arrested.
State Excise Commissioner Krishna Kumar visited Siwan and Saran to assess the situation, while Excise and Prohibition Minister Ratnesh Sada expressed grief over the loss of lives due to the consumption of spurious liquor in these districts. A special investigation team has been formed to determine the exact cause of death, and authorities are awaiting postmortem and viscera reports, according to the Saran district magistrate.
As of now, 49 individuals are still undergoing treatment in various hospitals across both districts. In 2022, the Masarakh area of Saran saw a similar tragedy, where hooch consumption claimed 73 lives, though officials admitted to only 48 deaths at the time. Since the implementation of Bihar’s prohibition law in April 2016, over 350 people have died as a result of consuming illicit alcohol.
The RJD has sharply criticized Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, questioning how spurious liquor continues to be available despite the liquor ban in Bihar. The party blamed the NDA government for these deaths, alleging that liquor mafias operate under the protection of state authorities.
“It is very tragic and concerning that even with the liquor ban in place, spurious liquor is readily available. We see this happen during Holi and Diwali every year. The NDA government is directly responsible for these deaths,” said RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari.