Five persons have died after consuming illegally distilled alcohol in Sri Lanka's Northwestern Province, police said on Tuesday.

Three persons died shortly after consuming the alcohol, while two others died in hospital, police said. Investigations are ongoing.

Official data show that around 40 percent of all alcohol consumed by Sri Lankans is illicit, posing serious health risks due to its toxicity. Sri Lanka has recorded numerous incidents of mass poisoning and deaths linked to illicit alcohol, primarily due to contamination with methanol or paraquat.

xinhua