Five people died on Friday at a village in dry Bihar after consuming what the district administration called "a white chemical", though the locals alleged it was liquor.
All deaths have been reported from Ansar village in the Dumrao subdivision of the Buxar district. Eight people fell ill within hours of consuming an intoxicant late on Thursday, said District Magistrate, Buxar, Aman Samir.
"Five died while three others are suffering bouts of vomiting. The boxes from which they had gulped down the white chemical are being sent for examination to ascertain the substance," the DM told reporters after visiting the site.
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Residents of the village, however, claimed that the deceased and their surviving friends drank concocted "Daru" (liquor) from bottles of homoeopathic medicine which they drank to get high.
The sale and consumption of liquor is completely banned in Bihar since April 2016. The state has, however, seen more than 50 hooch deaths in half a dozen districts since November last year.
With PTI inputs.
