One person died and nearly 300 people, mostly children, have been hospitalised in Eluru town of Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district after mysteriously falling ill since Saturday.

Reportedly, people from the area suddenly started becoming unconscious after suffering from headaches, vomiting, giddiness and epilepsy-like symptoms.

The unidentified illness claimed the life of a 45-year-old man who was admitted to the government general hospital in Vijayawada on Sunday morning with symptoms of nausea and epilepsy, died in the evening.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy visited the Eluru government hospital on Monday and met the patients who contracted a mysterious illness.

Reddy met almost all the patients admitted in the hospital and their caregivers. The Chief Minister assured the patients that the government will stand by them.

All patients have tested negative for COVID-19 and about 180 patients have now been discharged, while the rest are "stable." The patient who died had reported similar symptoms to the others, but then had a fatal but unrelated cardiac arrest.

However, terming it as a health emergency, caused due to "contaminated drinking water", Telugu Desam Party (TDP) General Secretary Nara Lokesh alleged that the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh is neglecting public health in the area and was trying to cover up by discharging patients in a hurry.

Deputy Chief Minister A K K Srinivas (Nani), who also represents Eluru, said the tests established that water contamination was not the cause of the mysterious disease. He said most of the victims have recovered and the medical teams are attending every patient.

Image Source: PTI