Methanol Confirmed in Nagaland Hooch as Death Toll Reaches 19

A probe into the spurious liquor tragedy in Nagaland has confirmed the presence of methanol in the drink that has claimed 19 lives over the past two weeks.

The deaths have been reported from different parts of the state since the first cases surfaced on September 24 in Mangkolemba, where four people died and another four fell ill after consuming the illicit brew.

Investigators have now established that the liquor contained methanol, a toxic industrial alcohol that is unfit for human consumption. The findings point to the bootlegged supply that has been linked to the string of fatalities across the state.

The incident has raised fresh concerns over the circulation of illicit liquor in Nagaland, where the manufacture and sale of alcohol is restricted. Authorities have been under pressure to trace the source of the spurious stock and identify those responsible for its distribution.

With the toll standing at 19, the episode is among the deadliest liquor poisoning incidents in the region in recent years. Further details on the investigation are awaited.