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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Infobox event
|date=February 2019
|deaths=156
|cause=Toxic Bootleg Alcohol
|location=Golaghat and Jorhat districts in Assam
}}

In February 2019, at least 168 people died after drinking toxic bootleg alcohol in [[Golaghat district|Golaghat]] and [[Jorhat district|Jorhat]] districts in [[India]]n state of [[Assam]]. The incident occurred two weeks after 100 people died by drinking toxic alcohol in the northern states of [[Uttar Pradesh]] and [[Uttarakhand]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/11/toxic-alcohol-methanol-india-uttar-pradesh-uttarakhand |title=Toxic alcohol 'laced with methanol' kills at least 99 people in India |author=Agence France-Presse |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=2019-02-11 |access-date=2019-02-25|author-link=Agence France-Presse }}</ref>

== Incident ==
The poisonings first came to attention on 21 February 2019, when 42 people died shortly after drinking the illegal alcohol.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/13-including-8-women-die-of-alcohol-poisoning-in-assam-s-golaghat-district/story-vDcDWY1XVQUvAzWhW0D6WN.html|title=Bootlegged liquor kills 42 in Assam|date=22 February 2019|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/78-people-dead-in-assam-illicit-liquor-tragedy-1463113-2019-02-23|title=78 people dead in Assam illicit liquor tragedy|newspaper=India Today|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019|agency=Ist}}</ref> Over the following days, more people died from the poisoning and many more were admitted to local hospitals.<ref name="IndiaToday133">{{cite news |title=Assam hooch tragedy: Death toll rises to 133, over 200 hospitalised |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/assam-hooch-tragedy-death-toll-rises-to-133-over-200-hospitalised-1463709-2019-02-24 |accessdate=24 February 2019 |work=India Today |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |date=24 February 2019 |language=en}}</ref> On 24 February 2019, it was reported that a total of 144 people had died and more than 300 were admitted in hospitals making it one of the deadliest alcohol poisonings in the country.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-47341941 |title=Assam toxic alcohol deaths |publisher=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/23/tainted-alcohol-kills-dozens-tea-plantation-workers-in-india|title=Tainted alcohol kills dozens of people in India|last=Dhillon|first=Amrit|date=23 February 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=24 February 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thequint.com/news/india/assam-golaghat-illicit-liquor-deaths|title=Assam Hooch Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 131 in Golaghat & Jorhat|website=The Quint|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref> The next day, the death toll had risen to 156.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nst.com.my/world/2019/02/463408/india-toxic-alcohol-deaths-jump-156 |title=India toxic alcohol deaths jump to 156 |author=Agence France-Presse |work=[[New Straits Times]] |date=2019-02-25 |access-date=2019-02-25|author-link=Agence France-Presse }}</ref>

The incident occurred at tea plantations in the districts. Most of the victims were labourers in these plantations. They might have bought the liquor to drink after a day's work in the plantation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/02/23/697317095/bootleg-liquor-kills-scores-in-indias-latest-mass-outbreak-of-alcohol-poisoning|title=Bootleg Liquor Kills Scores In India's Latest Mass Outbreak Of Alcohol Poisoning|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref>
{{Cquote
| quote = I had bought half a liter of wine and drank it before eating. Initially, everything was normal, but after some time my head started hurting. The headache grew so much that I could not eat or sleep.
| author = One hospitalised worker told [[BBC]]
| 2 =
}}

== Aftermath ==
Ten people have been detained for the incident.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/toll-in-assam-liquor-tragedy-rises-to-114-12-arrested-so-far/story-qfKXSxj2oDOlxEAQJyeUWN.html|title=Toll in Assam liquor tragedy rises to 114; 10 detained so far|date=23 February 2019|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|access-date=24 February 2019}}</ref>

Assam Government has announced ex-gratia of {{INR}} 200,000 for the dead and {{INR}} 50,000 to those undergoing treatment.<ref name=":0" /> The Government is also planning to ban and seize all illicit liquor in the state. Chief Minister [[Sarbananda Sonowal]] has ordered probe over the incident.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sentinelassam.com/news/cm-sarbananda-sonowal-orders-probe-over-alcohol-poisoning-in-golaghat/|title=CM Sarbananda Sonowal Orders Probe Over Alcohol Poisoning In Golaghat|date=2019-02-23|website=The Sentinel|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-24}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Alcohol prohibition in India]]
*[[List of alcohol poisonings in India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Disasters in India in 2019}}
{{Alcohol in India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Assam alcohol poisonings}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=Alcohol-related deaths in India, Disasters in Assam, 2019 disasters in India, Jorhat district, Golaghat district, February 2019 events in India, 2010s in Assam
|description=
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[[Category:Alcohol-related deaths in India]]
[[Category:Disasters in Assam]]
[[Category:2019 disasters in India]]
[[Category:Jorhat district]]
[[Category:Golaghat district]]
[[Category:February 2019 events in India]]
[[Category:2010s in Assam]]

2019 Assam alcohol poisonings - Revision history

MetaBOT at 19:49, 8 July 2023