West Bengal: Hooch claims 7 lives, 3 arrested

Seven persons have died after drinking illicit liquor at Payradanga village in Hooghly district, the police said.

About 20 villagers drank liquor on Sunday night and fell sick, following which they were brought to Panduah rural hospital. After their condition deteriorated, they were shifted to the Imambara Sadar Hospital at Chinsurah.

While one person died on way to Chinsurah, two others died during treatment there, officials said on Tuesday.

As some of the other villagers' condition worsened, they were referred to the Kolkata Medical College Hospital where four died on Tuesday morning, they said.

Seven villagers are still admitted at the Imambara Sadar Hospital. Police on Tuesday arrested three persons -- a man, his son and a relative of them - of Payradanga village from whom the liquor had been bought.

The victims were aged between 25 and 40, sources said. In December 2011, 143 people had died after consuming illicit liquor in South 24 Parganas district of the state.