At least eight children died and 17 others were hospitalised after suffering from an unidentified illness at Malda Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal.
"The children, aged between 1-6 years, were admitted here with high fever, vomiting and convulsion on Thursday night. The children died in the past couple of days," Superintendent-cum-Vice Principal of the medical college M A Rashid said.
All the affected children hail from Kaliachak-I, Kaliachak-II and Kaliachak-III blocks of Malda district, officials said.
Rashid said, "The symptoms started with fever and vomiting. It soon intensified and culminated in convulsions, leading to death of the children."
A team of specialists from School of Tropical Medicine in Kolkata will visit the area today.
Three more children were admitted here with similar symptoms today, officials said.
