Gastro surfaces in Mumbai, 2 succumb

Mumbai, Mar 15 (UNI) Two persons have succumbed to gastroenteritis in the metropolis while the number of patients admitted to civic hospitals with the afflication has risen to 37.

An 11-year-old boy succumbed to the illness yesterday while a 17-year-old girl died today in the civic hospital.

All the patients are residents of Crawford Market, Municipal Chawl, Bengalipura and Sabu Siddique Road areas in ''A'' ward of the municipal corporation, which received contaminated water due to a pipeline leakage a few days back.

Residents have said that despite complaints with the civic body regarding the supply of contaminated water, no action had been taken.

The corporation has now stopped water supply to these four localities and tankers have been pressed into service.

Executive health officer Jayraj Thanekar has claimed that original samples of water had tested negative. But, J J Hospital dean Dr P H Shingare and Government-run G T Hospital superintendent Dr H H Jadhav said the illness appears to be gastro and not cases of cholera. ''We checked some samples and they tested negative for cholera,'' they said.

UNI ST-MR MAZ VD BD1845