1 dead, 200 ill due to gastroenteritis in Punjab village

A 65-year-old woman died of gastroenteritis while nearly 200 people, including children, fell ill today in Siyora village, about 30 km from here, after leaking sewer water got mixed with drinking water.

Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner Rajjat Aggarwal and Civil Surgeon Dr Subhash Batta rushed to the village to provide medical aid to the patients and do an on-the-spot study of the situation.

Dr Batta said the cause of the epidemic was that sewer water leaked from a pipeline and got mixed with potable water at a point. The woman who died has been identified as Mohinder Kaur, he said.

The doctor said the patients were admitted to the Primary Health Centre at Payal and Civil Hospital Ludhiana.

They are all improving, he added.