国际英语资讯:Spotlight: At least 17 dead, over 40 hospitalized in Indias spurious liquor tragedy_时事

国际英语资讯:Spotlight: At least 17 dead, over 40 hospitalized in Indias spurious liquor tragedy

"After consuming the hooch, the villagers complained of losing their vision, nausea," a health official said. "They also felt problems in breathing."

Following the deaths, authorities issued an alert about the two brands in question, sold from the authorized excise department shops in the area and across the state.

Excise Minister Jai Pratap Singh said stringent action will be taken against those found guilty of selling spurious liquor.

So far authorities have suspended 10 excise department officials including Barabanki district excise officer, excise inspector, and three head constables.

Expressing concern over the deaths, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday ordered constitution of a high-level probe committee to look into the tragic incident in Barabanki.

According to a government spokesman, the committee would submit its report to the government in 48 hours.

"The committee will examine the roles of excise, police and district administration officials so as to fix responsibility for the lapses," a senior local government official said.

Uttar Pradesh with a population of 200 million is the most populous state in India and is ruled by the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

Opposition parties in the state accused the government of negligence.

In February, a hooch tragedy in India's northeastern state of Assam claimed over 150 lives, most of whom were tea garden workers at an estate. Prior to that around 100 people died in a similar tragedy in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.