ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least 27 Christians died and dozens more were sickened in a small city in Pakistan after drinking toxic alcohol on Christmas, officials said on Tuesday.

At least 60 people fell ill from the alcohol during celebrations on Sunday in the city, Toba Tek Singh, in Punjab Province, and dozens were taken to a nearby hospital, officials said. Almost 50 people were later brought to a hospital in Faisalabad, the closest major city, for treatment.

By Tuesday, the death toll had reached 27, Atif Imran Qureshi, a police official in Toba Tek Singh, said in a phone interview. The provincial government ordered an inquiry into the episode.

The sale of alcohol is restricted in Pakistan, but non-Muslims and foreigners can get permits from the provincial and federal authorities to consume it.