The number of fatalities from a batch of illicit alcohol that struck a town in southern India last week has climbed to 63, according to police reports on Thursday. Annually, hundreds perish in India due to inexpensive alcohol produced in clandestine distilleries, yet this incident in Tamil Nadu marks one of the most lethal in recent memory. Several individuals have been blinded after consuming the locally crafted 'arrack' adulterated with methanol in Kallakurichi district of Tamil Nadu. The district's chief police officer, Rajat Chaturvedi, informed AFP that 63 lives were claimed in this incident. Over 100 individuals were initially hospitalized following the sale of the fatal batch. Political factions in Tamil Nadu have exchanged accusations over the tragedy, with some opposition legislators being ejected from the state assembly after staging a protest on Wednesday, calling for the resignation of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. Laborers in Kallakurichi district habitually purchased the liquor, priced at 60 rupees ($0.70) and sold in plastic bags, which they consumed before commencing work. However, this particular batch proved catastrophic. Some victims lost their sight, while others collapsed and died on the streets before reaching medical care. Although Tamil Nadu is not a dry state, alcohol sold on the black market is cheaper than legally distributed alcohol. In several other regions of India, the sale and consumption of liquor are banned, intensifying the flourishing black market for potent, and occasionally deadly, moonshine. To enhance its strength, the liquor is frequently mixed with methanol, which can lead to blindness, liver damage, and death. Last year, toxic alcohol claimed at least 27 lives in a single incident in the eastern Indian state of Bihar, and in 2022, at least 42 individuals died in Gujarat.