Diarrhoea outbreak in two wards of Shantinagar Rural Municipality in Dang has downed more than 1,200 people.

Hari Pun of Shantinagar Health Post said the facility was overwhelmed with diarrhoea patients from wards 3 and 4.

“There were 419 cases until Saturday. The figure has tripled in a day,” he said, adding that most of the patients were women and children.

The disease have mostly affected the people of Patetakura, Ganari, Gahatol, Adhere, Bhaltol, Khatritol and Chiraghat of ward number-3 and Ekali, Kajeri and Hirapur villages of ward number-4.

District Public Health Officer Ghana Shyam Pokharel said four health camps had been set up in the affected areas to treat the patients.

Parshuram Pokharel of District Public Health Office said the outbreak was caused due to contaminated water.

“We found that the people were getting their drinking water from contaminated source,” said Pokharel.

Kaman Singh Dangi, chairman of Shantinagar Rural Municipality, said the two wards get their water from Mailipani Drinking Water Project. “It is the only drinking water source for 851 families of these two wards. There are no other water sources,” he said.

Nepal Army soldiers from Ripumardan Battalion on Sunday decontaminated the water source.

A team from the District Drinking Water and Sanitation Division Office had also reached the site to inspect the water source.

Tilak Neupane, acting chief of the division, said the villagers had been told not to use the water until further notice.

“We are supplying water in the affected areas using tankers for now,” said Neupane.