Lucknow, Oct 18 (IANS): Twenty-two people died and more than a dozen were taken ill after consuming illicit liquor in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh, police said.

Scores of people fell ill and complained of nausea and vomiting soon after consuming liquor from a local vend Thursday night at Chakia, Naranv and Adampur villages of Azamgarh, 271 km from here.

Soon, people started dying even as doctors wheeled in over a dozen sick persons to community health centres.

Azamgarh superintendent of police Arvind Sen told IANS he had confirmation of 22 deaths though only nine bodies have been brought to the hospital for autopsy. He added that reports suggested villagers cremated the rest of the bodies earlier in the day.

Four policemen were suspended for deriliction of duty.

Hooch claimed 12 lives in Azamgarh in 2008 while six people died in Soyepur village of Varanasi in 2010.

However, despite the recurring hooch tragedies, neither the excise department nor the police have been able to nail the guilty or prevent such incidents.