18 born blind in arsenic hit Bihar district

Altogether 18 children were born blind in the arsenic affected blocks of Bhojpur district during the past three months, Bihar Health Minister Nand Kishore Yadav confirmed today.

Altogether 18 children were born blind in the arsenic affected blocks of Bhojpur district during the past three months, Bihar Health Minister Nand Kishore Yadav confirmed on Wednesday.

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The cause of the blindness was not yet known, but health department officials were in touch with ophthalmologists, he said.

The arsenic affected districts in Bihar are Bhojpur, Buxar, Vaishali, Bhagalpur, Samastipur, Khagaria, Katihar, Saran, Munger, Darbhanga and Patna.

Diseases normally being witnessed in these districts include blindness, cancer of intestine, lever, kidneys and bladder, gangrene, bone deformity and skin problems.