Mysterious deaths: Six children die in two weeks in Odisha's Malkangiri district

Malkangiri: At least six children have died and seven others hospitalised over the past fortnight at a village in Odisha's Malkangiri district, a senior official said on Sunday.

The exact cause of the deaths is yet to be known, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Ajay Kumar Baitha said.
The children, aged between the age of six months and four years, died at Tamanpalli village under Kalimela block in the past two weeks, he said.

Seven children are undergoing treatment at Kalimela Community Health Centre and their blood samples have been sent to Bhubaneswar for examination, the CDMO said.

All of them had complained of fever, cold, cough, nausea and vomiting, Baitha said, adding, a team of doctors has been sent to the village and a health camp set up there.

"The deaths appeared to have occurred due to neglect on the part of the villagers, who apparently took the children to quacks for treatment instead of admitting them to the hospital," he said.