11 Deaths Due to Illicit Liquor Consumption Not Cholera, Clarifies Assam Govt

Guwahati: The eleven deaths of workers from the Tonganagaon Tea Estate were caused by the consumption of illicit liquor rather than cholera, confirmed the administration in Assam.

During a media briefing in the Tinsukia district, it was clarified that the tests conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) found no germs of cholera or diarrhea in the bodies of the deceased.

It has been determined that while some workers died due to the consumption of illicit liquor, others succumbed to different health issues.

Over the past week, eleven deaths occurred in the tea estate. The excise department has been instructed to take stringent measures against the production of illegal liquor.

Initially, the Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA), Tinsukia district committee, claimed that the deaths were due to cholera and diarrhoea. Reacting to the incident, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expressed his concern and directed state Chief Secretary Ravi Kota and the District Commissioner to take immediate action.