COLOMBO, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people died while 67 others received treatment after consuming an illicit local brew of alcohol in the Western Province, the Sri Lankan police said on Saturday.

    The people who had consumed this contaminated local brew of alcohol have been admitted to the hospital at Gampaha, 39 km north of the capital Colombo since Wednesday, police at the Weliweriya town said.

    Janaka Mayadunne, the medical superintendent of the hospital said 10 deaths had occurred while a few of those undergoing treatment are also not in stable condition.

    A 60-year-old woman was among those who died.

    Police believed that the local brew of alcohol may have been stored in containers carrying a poisonous substance.

    The woman brew owner was arrested, the police said.