5 villagers die locals refuse to let health officials enter village in UP's Pilibhit

    Pilibhit (UP), May 4 (PTI) Five people of Vauni village in the Bisalpur area of this Uttar Pradesh district died on Tuesday and when health department officials went to the village to enquire about the deaths, they were asked to go back by the villagers.
    Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Rakesh Kumar Gupta told reporters that he has asked the superintendent of the community health centre, Dr Thakurdas, to visit the village. The health department is probing the reason behind the deaths.
    Baburam, a resident of the village, told the administration that a man, who had come from Delhi to cast his vote in the recently-concluded panchayat polls, died of COVID-19 four days ago. After his cremation, five people, including three elderly women, died on Tuesday. All the bodies are lying at the homes of the deceased.
    Officials from the community health centre reached the village after getting the news.
    They said the villagers did not allow them to enter the village as they feared that the the officials themselves were COVID-positive.
    Thakurdas said the officials were not even allowed by the villagers to conduct a checkup of the deceased and hence, the reason behind the deaths is not clear. PTI CORR NAV RC

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)