36 die due to cough, cold in 27 days in Bihar village; COVID-19 testing launched

Muzzafarpur: An atmosphere of fear and panic has gripped Muzzafarpur's Sakra block due to the death of 36 people in 27 days. While villagers expressed apprehension that the deaths could be due to COVID-19, the local administration has denied the claims.

The matter is being reported from Saramastapur Panchayat of Sakra block in the Muzzafarpur district, where most people have died only after symptoms like cough and fever. The streets of the village wear a deserted look as the people are afraid to step out from their houses.

Speaking to ANI a local villager on Tuesday said that a total of 36 people have died so far and in the coming days this number will increase because many are ill. He also claimed most people have died only after symptoms like cough, fever.

Pramod Kumar Gupta, Sarpanch of Muzzafarpur's Sakra Block, said that some elderly people have died while the rest have died from cold, cough, fever. He said they have informed the district administration about the sudden increase in the death rate and asked to investigate the matter to know the reasons why it is happening.

"36 deaths in 27 days due to cough and cold. I had informed the Block Medical officer for testing but there were no kits. I then requested DM for kits & to find out the cause of deaths. Kits have been made available & testing being done," said Sarpanch, Sakra Block, Muzzafarpur.

Meanwhile, Sanjeev Kumar, Sakra PHC in-charge denied the claim and said that "not everyone has died due to coronavirus. Many people have died of other diseases."

A few days back, thousands of antigen kits, sanitisers and other items kept for black marketing were raided and seized by the police from a village in Sakra.