30 fresh deaths take swine flu toll to 1,319

Thirty more persons, including a noted theatre personality, have died due to swine flu in the country taking the toll over the 1,300 mark even as SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav, suspected to be suffering from the disease, was hospitalised.

Union Health Ministry data said 1,319 persons have perished due to the disease while the number of persons affected across the states stood at 24,661 as on March 6.

The Ministry had yesterday said that 1,289 had died while the number of those affected by it across the states was 23,922 as on March 5 this year. Noted theatre personality and former HoD, foreign languages department of Agra University, Jitendra Raghvanshi died of swine flu today at a Delhi hospital. He was also an active member of CPI.

Mulayam Singh Yadav has been admitted to a hospital in Gurgaon after he complained of breathlessness and uneasiness. “His samples have been sent for tests. He has symptoms of swine flu but nothing can be said as of now. Reports are awaited,” said a senior doctor at the hospital.

Health Ministry data for different states showed that the highest number of deaths due to the disease was in Gujarat at 324 while 5,411 persons have been affected by it.