831 swine flu deaths in India, over 24,000 affected

New Delhi, Dec 24: Sixteen deaths, including four from the national capital, were reported Thursday, taking the toll in India to 831, health authorities said here.

Also, 268 new cases were reported in the country, taking the total number of people affected with the contagious flu to over 24,707.

Apart from the four deaths reported from the Indian capital, where the toll has now touched 64, three deaths were reported from Karnataka and Rajasthan each.

Two succumbed to the virus in Maharashtra, taking the toll in the state due to Influenza A (H1N1) to 251 - the highest in the country.

Jammu and Kashmir reported its second swine flu death Thursday, officials said.

In Delhi, two people died in the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, while one died in Sanjay Gandhi Hospital and the fourth one at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

"The total death toll in Delhi is now 64," Anjana Prakash, deputy nodal officer in charge of swine flu in Delhi, told IANS. However, details of the deaths were not available.

The city also reported 137 fresh cases of which 59 were children. "With this the total infection across the city has reached 8,888," Prakash added.

New cases were also recorded from Maharashtra (30), Gujarat (16), Uttar Pradesh (13), Rajasthan (12), Karnataka (14) and Goa (1).