Twenty new diarrhoea cases have been reported in Indore after health authorities screened more than 9,000 residents in the city’s Bhagirathpura area, which is facing a serious health crisis due to contaminated drinking water.

Officials said medical teams examined 9,416 people from 2,354 households as part of an ongoing door-to-door survey in the affected locality. The screening led to the detection of 20 new patients on Sunday.

The outbreak has already placed a significant burden on the city’s healthcare system. According to official data, 398 patients have been hospitalised since the crisis began. Of these, 256 patients have recovered and been discharged, while 142 remain under treatment, including 11 patients admitted to intensive care units.

The contamination-linked outbreak has also resulted in fatalities. The district administration has confirmed six deaths caused by the consumption of polluted water in Bhagirathpura. Earlier, the city’s mayor had indicated that information about 10 deaths had been received.

However, local residents have disputed the official figures, claiming that 16 people, including a six-month-old infant, have died due to the diarrhoea outbreak.

Meanwhile, a team from a Kolkata-based national research institute specialising in bacterial infections has arrived in Indore to investigate the situation. Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Haasani said the experts are providing technical assistance to the local health department to help contain the outbreak and identify its source.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as health surveys and treatment efforts remain underway in the affected area.

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale struck Assam and parts of the Northeast early this morning, triggering brief panic among residents but causing no reported injuries or damage.

The earthquake occurred at around 4:17 am, with its epicentre located near Morigaon district in central Assam. According to official seismic data, the tremor originated at a depth of about 50 kilometres beneath the surface.

Residents in Morigaon and nearby districts reported feeling strong tremors, prompting many to step out of their homes as a precaution. The sudden shaking was experienced amid cold weather and dense fog conditions in several areas.

The epicentre of the quake lies along the Kopili fault line, a geologically sensitive zone known for seismic activity. This fault line has been associated with multiple earthquakes in the region in the past.

Authorities said that there were no immediate reports of loss of life or damage to property following the tremor. Local administrations are continuing to monitor the situation, while normalcy has largely returned.

Northeast India, including Assam, is among the most seismically active regions in the country and falls under high-risk earthquake zones, making such tremors relatively frequent.

Fourteen Maoists were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma and neighbouring Bijapur districts on Saturday morning, marking the first such incidents this year in the Bastar region.

Of the total fatalities, 12 Maoists were killed in Sukma district, while two were eliminated during an ongoing operation in Bijapur. Security forces have said the number may increase as combing operations are still underway in dense forest areas.

Encounter in Sukma’s Kistaram area

The first encounter took place in the Kistaram area of Sukma when security forces launched a search operation based on specific intelligence inputs. As the team advanced through forested terrain, Maoists opened fire, leading to a prolonged exchange of gunfire.

Among those believed to have been killed is Sachin Mangdu, a senior Maoist leader associated with the Konta Area Committee. Sources also indicated that a Maoist commander allegedly involved in the killing of Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Girpunje in Konta may have been neutralised in the same encounter.

Officials said the presence of several Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) cadre Maoists at the site suggests that a high-level Maoist movement or meeting was underway when security forces struck.

Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan stated that formal identification of the Maoists would be confirmed only after the search teams return from the forest.

Security forces recovered AK-47 and INSAS rifles from the Sukma encounter site.

Second encounter underway in Bijapur

In a separate operation in Bijapur district, security forces killed two Maoists and recovered one SLR and a 12-bore rifle. The operation in the area is still in progress.

Both encounters are part of intensified anti-Naxal operations being carried out across the Bastar region.