Rautahat, June 29:

Eleven-year-old Ravina Khatun, of Rampur Khap VDC, and 13-year-old Santosh Rai, of Betauna of Santapur VDC, died after taking anti-filariasis drugs yesterday and today.

After taking two anti-filariasis capsules and deworming capsule yesterday, Khatuna went to school but returned home soon, saying she had a headache, father of the girl, Orjer, said, adding that she died in the evening.

Orjer claimed that his daughter died after taking medicines against filariasis.

Meanwhile, Santosh Rai, an eighth-grader at the Chandranigahpur-based Janajyoti Secondary School, “fell ill after taking medicine against filariasis for four days. He died today,” headmaster of the school, Yogendra Prasad Yadav, said. “Many students have fallen ill after taking the medicine.”

Fourteen persons have been suffering from headache and stomachache after taking the medicine at Katihariya VDC-1, a health worker, Sanjaya Mishra, said.

We have got information about the deaths, CDO Durga Prasad Bhattarai said. “But we cannot say the drugs caused the death without performing medical tests.”

Chief of the District Public Health Office Dr Braja Kishor Thakur could not be reached for comment.