PATNA: 20 people have died in Bihar after consuming illicit liquor on Friday night, while half a dozen have been hospitalised in critical condition. The tragedy, the latest in a series of such deaths since 2016 when the Bihar government banned alcohol in the state, has been reported from Lakshmipur, Paharpur, and Harsiddhi blocks of Motihari, around 150 kilometres northwest of the state capital Patna.
Sources said a tank carrying spurious liquor was brought to Motihari and distributed among local traders, leading to the tragedy. The death count is expected to increase. Police and administration have refused to comment so far.