A cholera outbreak on India–Myanmar border kills nine, prompts two-month shutdown of cross-border movement

Mizzima

A cholera outbreak in Mizoram State along the India–Myanmar border has killed nine people, prompting authorities to impose a two-month ban on cross-border movement, according to local sources.

Restrictions on both entry and exit took effect on 13 November, local youth organizations and administrative officials said.

The outbreak was first detected on 4 November in Kakhi village of Lawngtlai District. The nine fatalities include three local residents, three Myanmar refugees, and three people from Lawngmasu and Lodaw villages in Shaha District.

“There have been six deaths in our village so far. Around 90 people have been infected, and among them five are in serious condition. The rest are recovering,” the chairman of the Youth of Lai Association (YLA) in Kakhi village told Mizzima.

Residents experiencing symptoms reported severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and weakened immunity. Health officials in Lawngtlai District have collected water and blood samples to determine the source of the infection, he added.

On 16 November, the Lawngtlai District Commissioner visited Kakhi village which has been declared a Containment Area and met community groups, urging them to strictly follow official advisories, according to the Mizoram Department of Information and Public Relations.