2 children dead, 52 ill after drinking contaminated water in UP village

Aligarh: Two children died and 52 have fallen sick after drinking contaminated water from a hand pump at their school in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh district, officials said.

The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon in Aligarh's Salgawan village. Two children, died while 52 others were taken ill after drinking contaminated water from a hand pump, Aligarh's Chief Medical Officer ML Agarwal said today. He added the children complained of nausea soon after drinking the water.

They all were rushed to the primary health centre in the village, he said. The probe has been ordered in this connection, he said.

A team of Health Department officials including doctors has been rushed to the village. The team will stay in the village till preliminary enquiry into the matter is completed.

The medical team is also investigating whether it could be connected to the seepage of contaminated water into the hand pump following heavy rains, he said.

Agarwal said the children who were taken ill were being treated at the primary health centre and were out of danger.