The toll in Bihar hooch tragedies shot up to 25 on Thursday as the Opposition, including Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, slammed Nitish-led government for the failure of prohibition.

While Siwan accounted for 20 fatalities, five deaths have been reported from Saran. With several more battling for their lives in hospitals in the dry state, the government has ordered a probe.

The figures could rise further as the respective district administrations were still trying to gauge the extent of the disaster. There is a strong possibility of many dead bodies being stealthily cremated or buried by their families due to the fear of the harsh provisions of the prohibition law and retribution by the police and the respective district administrations.

“Altogether 25 deaths have been confirmed due to poisonous liquor, including 20 in Siwan and five in Saran district. The Bhagwanpur Bazar area of Siwan and Mashrakh area of Saran have been affected. Around 10 people have been detained and are being questioned, in which the names of a few liquor mafia have come up,” Bihar director general of police Alok Raj said.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar conducted a review of the two incidents and dispatched senior officials to conduct an intensive probe in the affected villages.

“The chief minister has directed the prohibition, excise and registration department secretary to visit the place of occurrences, gather all information and conduct an intensive probe on all points. He has also instructed the entire team of the additional director general (prohibition) to visit the affected spots, investigate and take strict action against the people involved in the incidents,” a statement from the chief minister’s office said.

Nitish has asked director general of police (DGP) Alok Raj to monitor the developments in the incidents and ensure strict action against the culprits.

“The chief minister has appealed to the people of the state to understand that drinking is a vice which not only damages health, but also disturbs family and the society. Total prohibition has been implemented in Bihar and everybody is abiding by it. A few anti-social elements are trying to create disturbance in the society and the people should stay alert about them,” the statement further said.

Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi expressed grief over the large number of hooch deaths in Siwan and Saran districts and concern for the people recuperating in hospitals.

Priyanka said: “Prohibition has been implemented in Bihar, but the illicit trade in spurious liquor is going on unchecked due to which people are dying every other day. The government should check this.”

CPIML general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, asserted that the liquor deaths in Siwan and Saran were due to the failure of the Nitish-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.

“The deaths due to poisonous liquor in Siwan and Saran districts are a result of the failure of the Nitish government in nabbing liquor smugglers. Such incidents have happened time and again, but the series of deaths have not stopped. The liquor mafia cannot function without political patronage. Hooch has become a weapon of massacre of the poor people,” Dipankar said .

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav called the hooch deaths a “murder by a nexus of the ruling politicians, police and mafia due to which liquor is available everywhere”.

Tejashwi said: “Poisonous liquor and crime are claiming the lives of several people daily in Bihar, but it is a normal thing for the chief minister, who is the doyen of unethical and unprincipled politics, and his kitchen cabinet. No action is taken on any senior officer.”

He also pointed out that the availability of liquor everywhere in the state was the failure of the chief minister and the home department, and sought to know who was responsible for the “murders”.