Kolkata(PTI): Two persons have died due to diarrhoea and around 300 people are suffering from the infection in North 24 Parganas district's Kamarhati, with the West Bengal health department declaring a cholera outbreak in the area, a senior official said on Thursday.

Medical camps have been set up in that locality for distribution of ORS packets, the official stated.

"At least 297 people from Kamarhati Municipality have reported ill at Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital due to the water-borne disease. As of now, 150 people are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

"Of the samples that were sent for detailed examination, three tested positive for 'Vibrio cholerae 01 Ogawa'. Fortunately, the causative agent is sensitive to most drugs," he explained.

A team of senior doctors from the state health department, during the day, visited the Sagar Dutta Medical College and Hospital and places in Kamarhati and inspected the water supply system, further advising adequate chlorination to kill germs, the official underscored.

"Three medical camps have been set up in Kamarhati, and over 16,000 ORS packets, along with plenty of halogen tablets, distributed to people in the affected areas," he added.

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Beijing (PTI): China, for the first time, has confirmed that it provided on-site technical support to Pakistan during the four-day conflict with India last year, official media reports here said.

China's state broadcaster CCTV on Thursday aired an interview with Zhang Heng, an engineer from the Aviation Industry Corporation of China's (AVIC) Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute, a key developer of China’s advanced fighter aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle design.

Zhang had provided technical support to Pakistan during the four-day war last May, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported, quoting CCTV.

Pakistan's air force operates a fleet of Chinese-made J-10CE jets, produced by an AVIC subsidiary.

"At the support base, we frequently heard the roar of fighter jets taking off and the constant wail of air-raid sirens. By late morning, in May, the temperature was already approaching 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). It was a real ordeal for us, both mentally and physically,” Zhang said.

What drove his team was the "desire to do an even better job with on site support” and to ensure their equipment could “truly perform at its full combat potential”, Zhang told CCTV.

“That wasn’t just a recognition of the J10CE; it was also a testament to the deep bond we formed through working side by side, day in and day out,” he said.