Eight persons died after consuming illicit liquor in the jurisdiction of N M Joshi Marg police station in Mumbai early this morning.
The residents, mostly labourers, were from a slum near Arthur Road jail in central Mumbai, the police said.
Our reporter Danish Khan said, at least 40 victims were admitted to the B Y L Nair Hospital and doctors were doubtful about the condition of a few others.
Unconfirmed reports put the death toll even higher, at 14.
Curiously though, hospital sources said the deaths were not due to liquor.
''The cause appears to be something else but wait for the post mortem report,' they said
The police also refused to part with any authentic information on the incident.
The deceased:
Kishore Rathod 45, resident of BMC transit camp, Arthur Road Jail
Shaikh Mohammed Nasir, 35, resident of Saat Rasta
Krisna Adivalekar, 45, resident of Saat Rasta
Suresh Mundre, 55, resident of M P Mills Compound, Tardeo
Mahadev Khedekar, 55,
Ganpat Jadhav, 55, resident of Adarsh Nagar
Laxman Jadhav, 50, resident of BMC Colony, Tardeo
Salu Michael Dsouza
