Siliguri: With six more people dying of encephalitis since Saturday night, the vector-borne disease has claimed altogether 51 lives in northern West Bengal over the past 18 days, health officials said Sunday.

Six patients admitted to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) died between Saturday night and Sunday evening, the facility's assistant Superintendent Rajiv Basu said. Superintendent Amarendranath Sarkar said 40 others are still undergoing treatment at NBMCH.