New Delhi - At least seven people died and five others were in critical condition after drinking illegally brewed poisonous alcohol in India's western Gujarat state Tuesday, a news report said. The men were rushed to two Ahmedabad hospitals, where the five survivors were in a critical condition. Doctors said the death toll could mount, the PTI news agency reported.
The incident prompted protests in the city where women took to the streets and demanded that the government crack down on illegal liquor dens in the state.
Illicit liquor is a thriving business in India because it is much cheaper than legal alcohol, but bad brews cause scores of deaths each year, mostly in the eastern and southern regions.
