National

Srinagar, March 26 (IANS) The first COVID-19 death occurred in Srinagar after a patient who had tested positive earlier succumbed on Thursday in the hospital.

Doctors said the 65-year old COVID-19 positive patient being treated at the Chest Diseases Hospital in Srinagar city succumbed on Thursday.

"The patient had accompanying ailments of hypertension, diabetes and obesity. He succumbed in the early hours today," a senior doctor said.

The patient was part of a 'Tabligi Jamaat' (Religious preachers) who had a contact history with foreigners before he arrived back in the valley. He had reportedly returned from New Delhi recently after being part of the 'Tablighi Jamaat' which was attended by people from Indonesia and Malaysia.

Before being admitted in the hospital, he had come into contact with some local doctors, nurses and paramedics in addition to attending a couple of religious congregations in Sopore town of Kashmiri's Baramulla district.

Among the many that he came in contact with, four tested positive on Wednesday.

And a bulk of those he had contacted have gone on self quarantine and reported at medical facilities.

After this death, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases is now 10 in the union territory, out of whom seven are being treated in Srinagar and three in the Jammu city.