More than 100 people are being treated in various hospitals.

At least 29 people have died and dozens hospitalised after drinking illegally brewed liquor in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, officials told local media Thursday.

The incident occurred in the state's Kallakurichi district, where more than 100 people are being treated in various hospitals, top district official M S Prasanth told the Press Trust of India news agency. He added that the number of those who are in critical condition keeps changing, suggesting that the death toll could rise.

Ambulances, doctors and specialists from nearby areas have been deployed to the district.

The state's chief minister M K Stalin said in a post on social media platform X that those involved in the crime have been arrested, and action has also been taken against officials who failed to prevent it. "Such crimes that ruin the society will be suppressed with an iron fist,” he added.

Associated Press