Fourth BSF trooper succumbs to Covid-19 in northeast

Imphal/Agartala, Aug 16 (IANS) A Border Security Force (BSF) trooper in Manipur succumbed to Covid-19 on Sunday, taking the death toll of the force's personnel in northeastern states due to the disease to four, health officials said. State Health and Family Welfare Department's Additional Director Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang said that the 44-year-old trooper was admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences here on Friday with some ailments, including Covid-19 symptoms, and died while undergoing treatment. Earlier, two BSF troopers in Tripura and another in Meghalaya died due to Covid-19. According to health officials of the eight northeastern states, nearly 4,000 Central Para-Military Forces (CPMF) personnel have so far been infected by the disease across the region. Besides the paramilitary personnel, many Indian Army, Indian Air Force, and National Disaster Response Force personnel have also tested positive for coronavirus. Mangang also said Manipur has registered 4,569 Covid-19 cases till Sunday evening. With 16 deaths, the number of active cases in the state is 1,921, while 2,632 people have recovered from the disease so far. Of the total cases, 1,192 are CPMF personnel.
--IANS sc/vd