Gorakhpur tragedy: Death toll rises to 70; UP CM, JP Nadda reach hospital

Gorakhpur: Tragedy continued to descend upon Gorakhpur's Baba Raghav Das Medical College hospital, as another child succumbed to encephalitis on Sunday, taking the death toll over 70.

11 children died on Saturday and until Friday the death toll stood at 60.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Health Minister JP Nadda visited the hospital on Sunday.

Adityanath had on Saturday said that a magisterial inquiry has been ordered and a committee has been formed to look into the Gorakhpur tragedy.

He said that "he has asked a team of top ministers to determine if the death of the children was actually due to a disruption in oxygen supply at the hospital and assured to "not spare anyone found guilty".

"We have suspended the principal of the BRD Medical College and taking him guilty for his actions and an investigation on him has already been ordered and is underway. Those found guilty won't be spared," the chief minister added.

Responding to the suspension of Medical College Principal, senior Congress Party leader and former health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad branded the move as 'eyewash', and demanded that an all-party delegation should look into the matter.

"The administration was notified of the lack of oxygen. Local media reports also hinted at the possibility of a large tragedy in the hospital. It is shocking that nothing was done about it. Suspending the Principal after this and announcing an enquiry into the matter is just an eyewash. There should be an all-party probe into this; the matter should not be submerged at any cost," said Azad, while addressing a press conference in Gorakhpur.

Further, Azad urged the state health minister Siddharth Nath Singh to submit his resignation immediately.

According to data procured from the BRD hospital, in five days - from August 7 to August 11, a total of 60 deaths occurred in the hospital.

The procured data also shows the number of oxygen cylinders sent for refilling each day, showing a clear shortage of liquid oxygen in the hospital.