At least 13 persons have been confirmed dead out of the 160,cases of cholera which has continued to ravage Gashua town in Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State.

Six persons out of  62 cases initially recorded died over the weekend at the hospital and isolation centres where they were kept.

Laboratory tests carried out on 10 of the patients revealed that eight returned positive, erasing doubts that the outbreak could be gastroenteritis.

Mr. Hassan Gadaka, the Head of Record and Statistics at the hospital told newsmen that seven more deaths had been recorded, thereby increasing the death toll to 13.

“From our records now, we have 13 deaths out of the 160 cholera patients hospitalized. Among the dead was a child from the 18 children under the age of five admitted in the hospital.

“We are grateful to God, the death has drastically reduced because the state government had quickly intervened and provided enough drugs and personnel,”  Gadaka said.\

He added that the patients were brought from the seven affected wards in Gashua town namely Sabon Gari, Lawan Musa, Sarkin Hausawa, Katuzu, Lawan, Fannami and Zango while one came from Kachallari in Yusufari Local Government Area.

Residents in the affected areas have complained about the unhealthy water sources in the communities, calling on the government to address the issue as according to them, the outbreaks of cholera would continue to ravage the communities unless the concerned authorities came up with a solution.