Two deaths due to gastroenteritis have been reported in the Crawford Market area of south Mumbai in the last two days, municipal authorities said Wednesday.
Thirty-seven others have also been admitted to hospital with gastro symptoms, they said.
The first case was reported on March 13, said Vijaysinh Patankar, additional municipal commissioner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, adding, "till now thirty-seven cases have come to light, apart from two deaths".
All the patients have been admitted to state-run Gokuldas Tejpal Hospital and five of them are in the intensive care unit, hospital authorities said.
All of them complained of diarrhoea and vomitting, common gastro symptoms, they said.
Talking about possible causes of gastro outbreak, Patankar said it could be either contaminated water-supply or contaminated food.
"BMC Water Department is checking the possibility of mixing of drainage water with drinking water due to pipeline rupture," Patankar said.
Earlier, Water Department sources had claimed that water samples from BMC supply lines have tested normal.
As a precautionary measure, BMC has stopped water supply to the areas from where outbreak has been reported and water tankers are being provided to those localities.
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