At least nine people have died after a diarrhea outbreak caused by contaminated drinking water in the central Indian city of Indore, according to foreign news agencies.
More than 200 people have been hospitalized after consuming polluted water, reports said.
Indian Member of Parliament Kailash Vijayvargiya confirmed that nine deaths had occurred due to contaminated drinking water in the city.
Indore’s Chief Medical Officer, Madhav Prasad Hassani, told news agencies that drinking water in the Bhagirathpura area became contaminated due to leakage in a water pipeline. Tests confirmed the presence of bacteria in the pipeline.
He said the final death toll could not yet be confirmed, but more than 200 residents from the affected area are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals across the city. Final laboratory reports of water samples are still awaited.
District Administrative Officer Shravan Verma said medical teams have been deployed for door-to-door screening, and chlorine tablets are being distributed to purify water.
He added that a leakage point in the water pipeline has been identified and repaired.
According to Verma, 8,571 people have been screened so far, with 338 showing mild symptoms.
It is worth noting that Indore has been ranked India’s cleanest city for the past eight consecutive years and has consistently topped the national cleanliness rankings.
