At least 55 people died after consuming toxic home-made liquor in an eastern Indian state, officials said Wednesday and warned the toll could rise as more than 100 other victims were in hospitals. The deaths were reported from the impoverished district of 24 Parganas in West Bengal state, the officials said.
"The death toll has now risen to 55 but we fear it will rise further," Narayan Swarup Nigam, the district administrator, told AFP by telephone from the site. The civilian administrator also said at least 130 others injured by the poison-laced liquor were in hospitals and that more were reporting ill.