The deceased, identified as 70-year-old Nandlal Pal, died on Tuesday morning while undergoing treatment at Verma Hospital. He had been admitted three days earlier with complaints of severe diarrhoea and vomiting and reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest during treatment. Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Hasani stated that Pal had multiple pre-existing medical conditions and said it would be premature to attribute the death solely to contaminated water.

Bhagirathpura falls under Assembly Constituency-2, represented by Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya. Most of the affected residents were rushed to nearby hospitals after experiencing nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and dehydration. More than 20 patients were admitted to Verma Hospital, while others received treatment at Triveni Hospital. Hospital authorities said all admitted patients are currently stable.

Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav took immediate cognisance of the situation and directed the district administration and health department to ensure uninterrupted medical care, adequate medicine supply and specialist availability. The administration has been placed on high alert amid fears of a wider outbreak.

In response, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has stopped the regular water supply in the area and begun providing water through tankers. Civic teams are collecting samples from more than 200 locations to identify the source of contamination. Officials said laboratory testing is underway.

Minister Vijayvargiya visited hospitals to review the situation and assured residents that the government would bear the entire cost of treatment. He appealed to people to boil water before consumption and avoid drinking water directly from taps until further notice. “The exact cause of contamination is yet to be determined. Sample testing will help establish responsibility,” he said.

District Collector Shivam Verma confirmed that a detailed investigation is in progress. “We received complaints of multiple people falling ill after consuming water. Medical teams were immediately dispatched and the situation is under constant monitoring,” he said.

Residents, however, claimed the crisis had been building for days. Locals alleged that contaminated water complaints were raised as early as December 24 and that more than 120 people may have fallen ill over the past week. Doctors corroborated that sporadic cases were reported earlier, but a sudden spike on Monday led to an outbreak-like situation.

Meanwhile, the Congress staged a protest in the constituency, accusing the IMC of ignoring repeated complaints related to water quality, sanitation and drainage, further escalating political pressure over the incident.