Islamabad: Over 100 newborn babies and several women have died in Pakistan's drought-hit southern Sindh province this month of water-borne and viral diseases, according to health officials. The water-borne diseases and malnutrition teamed up with the cold weather caused the children to lose their lives in different areas of the Tharparkar district.

Although the Sindh government has denied the high number of casualties, the doctors have said that two women and eight children died yesterday of water-borne and viral diseases. "There has been an outbreak of water borne and viral diseases in the area and infants and children have died due to malnutrition and the extreme cold weather," Arjun Kumar, an health officer in Tharparkar district said.