More than 20 people have died and nearly 20 others have been hospitalized after drinking illicit liquor in India's western state of Gujarat over the past 24 hours, media reports said on Tuesday.

The deaths reportedly took place mainly in villages in the districts of Botad, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad.

The incident has sent shockwaves across the country, especially because the sale and consumption of liquor are strictly prohibited in Gujarat for local people.