The death toll in the alcohol poisoning at a tea garden in Assam’s Golaghat district has risen to 25.

The 25 victims include 15 women and ten men, officials said.

Health department officials said that while 18 people including 12 men and six female died in Golaghat district, seven others including three male and four women died at the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.

According to health officials of the district, four garden workers, who were rushed to a local government hospital died around 7:30 pm on Thursday.

Eight others, who were admitted to the hospital died on Friday morning.

The incident took place after a tea garden worker known as Sanjay Oran brought local country liquor known as ‘sulai‘ in a jerry can.

The other tea garden workers of Halmira Tea Estate brought the liquor from his house.

Deputy superintendent of police Partha Protim Saikia said that a sample of the liquor had been sent for forensic investigation.

However, Saikia claimed that the can in which the liquor was brought might have been contaminated.

According to the deputy superintendent, the liquor was not brewed at the tea estate but brought from outside.

The tradition of drinking country liquor has remained a common practice among the tea garden workers despite many drives against country liquor and awareness programme about the adverse health impact of such liquor.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal while expressing grave concern over the death of at least 13 people including women allegedly due to alcohol poisoning in Golaghat district, has ordered an inquiry into the tragedy.

Assam Government order probe: Chief minister Sonowal has instituted a one man inquiry and asked Upper Assam Division commissioner Julie Sonowal to inquire into the corollaries of events leading to the death of the tea garden labourers.

The modus operandi of the inquiry will be study the circumstances and other related causative factors and prepare a report and submit the same to the government.

Sonowal also also asked minister Topon Kumar Gogoi, MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa and MLA Mrinal Saikia to rush to the spot to assess and quell the situation arising out of the death of liquor poisoning.

State excise minister Parimal Shuklabaidya also instituted a department inquiry into the tragedy and said that two officers have already been suspended for their failure to check sale of spurious liquor into the district.