Six of the 15 inmates, who were admitted to the isolation hospital with severe gastroenteritis today, succumbed in the morning while three others developed complications at the centre itself and died on way to hospital in the evening, sources told PTI.
Eleven inmates of the Beggars' Relief Centre, the only one in Bangalore which houses as many as 2,500 beggars, had died yesterday alone.
"The worst hygiene conditions at the centre and negligence of the authorities is responsible for the deaths. They allowed things to worsen and immediate and right medical attention was not provided," doctors at the isolation ward of the hospital said.
Meanwhile, some more inmates have been admitted to hospital with "severe stomach and other infections".
The officials at the Centre were tightlipped about the number of those rushed to hospital today.
Meanwhile, social welfare authorities sought to play down the incident saying many of the inmates were "suffering from old age related ailments which resulted in their deaths".
The authorities, who visited the centre, said various steps had been initiated including a thorough cleaning of the centre and providing potable water and medical aid for the inmates.
Social Welfare Minister D Sudhakar paid a visit to the centre yesterday and ordered a probe into the incident.
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