Assam hooch toll up to 114, deaths across villages in two districts

The first four victims were from Halmira Tea Estate in Golaghat district of Upper Assam. They died on Thursday night, hours after they were admitted to hospital after drinking spurious liquor. Over the next two days, more deaths were reported from four other areas, including from the neighbouring district of Jorhat, some about 40 km away from Halmira Tea Estate. By Saturday evening, the toll had climbed to 114. Advertising The victims include a mother-son duo, who are suspected to have supplied the local jaggery-based liquor, called ‘sulai’, at Halmira. The woman, Dhraupadi Urang (62), was among the first to report sick at the Halmira Tea Estate Hospital on Thursday evening, along with three other women — Angni Gowala (60), Bondhoin Bowri (54) and Belo Bhumij (62). All four women died at the Golaghat Civil Hospital later that night. Since Thursday night, deaths have also been reported from Wokha (about 25 km from Halmira), Gobinpur (about 40 km from Halmira), Borholla in Jorhat (about 30 km from Halmira) and Titabor in Jorhat (about 30 km from Halmira).

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