With five more persons dying in the hospitals since Sunday morning, the death toll in the hooch tragedy that took place in the tribal colonies of Mylavaram of Krishna district on Saturday has reached 17.

Reports said the condition of 13 more persons is said to be serious and the dead included three women. 12 persons died on Saturday after consuming spurious country liquor by the men and women of Lambada Tandas near Mylavaram.

The presence of the DNS ethanol in the country liquor is said to be main reason for the tragedy and the minister Mopidevi Venkataramana also confirmed it.

Meanwhile, opposition parties demanded registration of cases against the government under section 304 A of the IPC treating the deaths as killings by the government. The opposition TDP demanded the government to pay an ex-gratia of Rs.10 lakh each and also provide jobs to each in the families of those killed. (JUBS)