At least 59 people have died and over 200 taken ill after consuming spurious liquor in tea gardens in Assam's Golaghat and Jorhat since Thursday night, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday.

The death toll is rising every minute, the minister said after visiting Jorhat Medical College Hospital (JMCH) here.

"This morning the death toll in Golaghat and Jorhat districts was 59 and 200 people have been admitted to hospitals. The death toll and the number of people admitted is changing minute by minute," Sarma told reporters after meeting some patients at the hospital.

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