Kathamndu May 5.

The death of 12 people in Bardibas and Bhangaha municipalities of Mahottari district is not due to COVID-19, the District Health Office here has confirmed. These many people died at Bardibas municipality -12 and Bhangaha municipality ward number 6 and 7 over a period of 11 days since March 23. The District Health Office had collected samples from three of the deceased for testing for coronavirus after fear of COVID-19 spread in the municipalities following the death of this many people one after another in a period of 11 days. The Office ruled out COVID-19 as the cause of the death of these people after the samples tested negative for coronavirus and said these people died of other causes. A team comprising experts from the Department of Health Services, the World Health Organization, the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and the District Health Office is currently investigating the cause of the death of this many people. As per the preliminary results of the study and investigation conducted by the team, a majority of the deaths were due to drinking contaminated liquor.