At least 42 people were killed and dozens more were taken ill after consuming toxic liquor on Christmas Eve in Toba Tek Singh district of Punjab, police told DawnNews Tuesday.

Most deaths were reported from a Christian colony in Toba Tek Singh.

Earlier, a local police official Imran Atif had told AFP that the affected had "died after consuming toxic liquor brewed by residents in the Mubarakabad Basti on Christmas Eve".

District Police Officer Toba Tek Singh Usman Gondal told DawnNews Tuesday evening that a total of 78 people had been brought to Allied Hospital in Faisalabad with liquor poisoning, with at least 10 still in critical condition at the time.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Saddar Atif Imran Qureshi earlier told DawnNews that the toxic liquor had been sold as permitted liquor. He added that the matter is being investigated, and assured that action would be taken against those involved.

Though legal breweries exist in Pakistan, alcohol sales and consumption are prohibited for Muslims and regulated for minorities and foreigners.

While wealthy citizens buy bootlegged foreign alcohol at heavily inflated prices, the poor often resort to home-brews that can contain methanol, commonly used in anti-freeze and fuel.

Eleven Christians died in October after consuming toxic liquor at a party in Punjab. In October 2014, at least 29 drinkers were killed after consuming methanol-tainted liquor over the Eid holidays.