NEW DELHI: The death toll has climbed to 54 from consumption of tainted liquor in India's southern state of Tamil Nadu, with more than 100 people still in hospital, a government official said on Saturday (Jun 22). Nearly 200 people have been treated since Wednesday for vomiting, stomach aches and diarrhoea
My understanding is that it is intentionally adulterated by illegal distillers in order to increase potency while keeping costs down in a competitive black market of alcohol sales to those who can not afford legal alchohol.