At least nine people have died in the last three days after allegedly consuming hooch at Vareli village here following which both the district administration and police have launched a probe.
Following the deaths, Surat Collector Mahendra Patel has asked the District Development Officer (DDO) and his staff, including a team of health officials, to visit the village.
"At least nine persons of Vareli have died during last three days. It is still a suspected case of hooch consumption, as the primary medical reports only suggested that they died due to some kind of poisonous substance, like methyl alcohol," the Collector said.
"To find out the exact cause, we have sent viscera samples of the deceased for forensic examination. Meanwhile, our DDO, Mamlatdar and a team of health officials have been rushed to Vareli to take precautionary steps," Patel added.