At least 13 people have died in Maharashtra’s Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad after consuming suspected spurious liquor, prompting a multi-agency investigation.
The deaths occurred in Pimpri Chinchwad’s Phugewadi, where eight people died within 24 hours, and in Pune, where five people died, including three in Kale Padal and two in Hadapsar.
Residents linked the deaths to consumption of spurious liquor, but police said the exact cause of the deaths would be known only after forensic and post-mortem reports are received.
Investigators said there were similarities in the symptoms reported among victims, including dizziness, uneasiness, frothing at the mouth, breathing difficulties, and a sudden drop in heart rate.
Police have uncovered a wider network of illegal liquor production and distribution across the Pune district and are working to trace the supply chain, identify distributors, and determine the exact composition of the seized liquor.
Investigators suspect that nearly 215 litres of methanol were mixed into the country liquor before it was supplied to Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, a highly toxic industrial chemical that can cause blindness, organ failure, and death.
