MALKANGIRI : Death toll in Haldikund village within Mathili police limits rose to seven after a seven-year-old boy succumbed to the mystery disease on Monday night. He was identified as Santosh Podiami. After he reached home from school, the boy complained of illness and died. Postmortem could not be carried due to resistance from villagers. Chief district medical officer of Malkangiri Prafulla Nanda said a health team has reached Haldikund to find out the reason behind the boy’s death. Earlier, he had claimed deaths in the village were due to chronic alcoholism.
“Villagers are consuming beef with illicit liquor. Another seven-year-old boy of the village, who had died earlier, had consumed beef,” the CDMO added. However, excise superintendent Arun Padhi denied the deaths were due to consumption of liquor. “I doubt the claim since children and women who did not consume liquor have died,” he said.