At least six children have died and seven others hospitalised over the past two weeks 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, Mr 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.
Common Misconceptions About Breastfeeding: Why Is It an Important Factor for the Child? This State To Set Up Breastfeeding Cabins In Offices, Public Places Tribal Boy From Odisha Cracks NEET, Becomes First To Pursue MBBS From His Community US Millionaire, Who Died By Suicide, Owed $34 Million With $8,000 In Bank Manipur Chief Minister Slams Tejashwi Yadav Over "Racist" Jab At Himanta Sarma What Is Symbiosexuality? New Form Of Sexual Attraction Explained By Experts UNICEF Launches Emergency Tender For Mpox Vaccines To Help Hard-Hit Nations 8 Killed After Bus Carrying 47 Overturns In US State Of Mississippi: Report Trump "Disrespected Sacred Ground' At US Military Cemetery: Kamala Harris Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.