At least 39 people, most of them Christians celebrating Christmas, have died and dozens have fallen ill after drinking toxic alcohol in Pakistan, according to officials.
Police in eastern Punjab province took all alcohol sellers in the district of Toba Tek Singh, the site of the incident, into custody for questioning, Muhammad Shahbaz, a local police official, told DPA news agency.
The brew was consumed during festive celebrations in a Christian community, Shabaz said. Five Muslims were also among the dead.
Many of the victims had been drinking and dancing throughout Sunday and into Monday morning, when some of them fell ill and were taken to hospital, he said.
More 150 people were taken to clinics, dozens of them unconscious. Funerals have been held for 25 victims, Shabaz said.
Suspect among the dead
Shabaz said that the individual who allegedly arranged for the alcohol at the Christmas festivities was among the dead, complicating police efforts to trace where the toxic beverage came from.
Usaman Akram Gondal, who is with the Toba Tek Singh police, said deaths from toxic alcoholic drinks regularly occur in rural areas where people often consume poor quality liquor.
Deaths from tainted liquor, often home-brewed, occur periodically in Muslim-majority Pakistan, often around religious festivals.
In March, at least 40 people, mostly Hindus, died after drinking toxic liquor just days before Holi.
It is illegal for Muslims to buy or consume alcohol in the country, and minorities need permits to buy it in restricted quantities.
Christians make up about 1.6 percent of Pakistan’s 190 million people, with most living in Punjab.
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