NEW DELHI, May 29 -- At least 17 people died and 44 people were undergoing treatment in two hospitals following consumption of spurious liquor in India's northern state of Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.

"As of now the death toll is 12 but early today we received a report from the Lucknow hospital that two more who were referred there for specialized treatment have succumbed," district magistrate of Barabanki Udai Bhanu Tripathi told Xinhua.

"Apart from this, we have three deaths that took place in the hospital here, wherein families claim they also had consumed the tainted liquor. Of them, two have been already been cremated without post-mortem but the autopsy on the third body was performed and report is awaited. If we take into account all the cases then the toll is 17."

According to Tripathi the three patients were said to be already in the hospital when the tragedy unfolded.

"Now police are investigating the case and we are hopeful that clear picture would come out," he said.

The district magistrate said 44 patients were undergoing treatment in hospitals at Barabanki and Lucknow.

Police said the victims purchased country-made liquor from an authorized shop of the excise department at Raniganj market in the Ramnagar area of Barabanki district, about 58 km east of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.

Health officials said the victims approached hospital on Monday night.

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