Gorakhpur tragedy: Death toll jump to 105, Allahabad HC seeks reply from Yogi Govt

Lucknow: Deaths of nine more children were reported from the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in the last 24 hours between Thursday and Friday, taking the toll to 105 since the August 10 tragedy.

The deaths were confirmed by Dr PK Singh, the BRD Medical College, who briefed the media in his office. Among these nine deaths, five were reported from the neonatal ward, two from encephilitis ward and two from the general paediatric ward.

“Most of the children, including the newborn, are brought here in a critical condition,” he said. To a query, he said the hospital administration was sending data on the deaths to the government.

Earlier in the day, director general, medical education, Dr KK Gupta held a meeting with the principal.

Meanwhile, the Allahabad High Court has directed the UP government and the Director General of medical educational to submit a counter affidavit within six weeks on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking a judicial inquiry into the deaths of children at Gorakhpur hospital.

The division bench comprising chief justice D.B. Bhosle and Justice Yashwant Verma has fixed 9 October as the next date of hearing. The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Daya Shankar Tiwari passed the order on the PIL filed by activist Nutan Thakur after hearing her, advocate general Raghavendra Pratap Singh and Medical Education Counsel Sanjay Bhasin.

The advocate general opposed the petition, saying the state government has taken every possible measure in the matter and shall take all possible action as per the report submitted by the chief secretary.

Thakur contended that the action of the state government so far gave a message that it was trying to hide facts and shield the guilty.

Several PILs have been filed in the high court by lawyers and social activists demanding a judicial probe and stern action against those responsible for the tragedy.