TINSUKIA: Four people died allegedly due to asphyxiation while cleaning a tank used for illicit liquor production in Assam's Tinsukia district on Thursday, police said.
According to the police, the deceased included the 70-year-old owner of the liquor-making unit and his son.
The incident took place at Tipuk under Talap police station when the four entered the tank for periodic cleaning.
"The large tank was utilized for melting treated jaggery, a key step in the production of country liquor," an official said.
He said it is suspected that some noxious gas inside the tank led to their suffocation and subsequent death, but the actual reason will be known after the post-mortem examination report is available.
The deceased were identified as unit owner Ramprasad Rai, his 40-year-old son Patgiri and two laborers - Jagdish Gwala (40) and Pukla Kisan (38).
"Ramprasad Rai has long been involved in the production of illicit alcohol and used to operate secretly in the region. Despite repeated dismantling of his illegal distillery by the police and excise department, he managed to resurface every time," the official said.
A detailed and thorough police investigation is on to ascertain the sequence of events leading to the death of the four people, he added.