Patna, Mar 15 (IANS): Three persons of a village in Bihar's Katihar district died in mysterious circumstances on Tuesday, while two others are battling for their lives in hospitals, officials said.

The incident occurred at Jubarganj Rishi Tola village under Koda police station.

While villagers are claiming that the three died after consuming poisonous liquor, the local administration is yet to confirm this. District Magistrate Udayan Mishra said that the matter is under investigation.

The villagers claimed that the five had consumed liquor on Monday evening and their condition deteriorated late in the night. The victims were taken to adjoining Purnea district and admitted to the government hospital there, but three of them died.

With this, 22 persons have lost their lives in five districts in the last one week.

On Saturday, five persons died in Bhagalpur, and four in Gopalganj. Five others also died in Gopalganj on Friday, and three in Siwan and two in Bettiah on last Tuesday.