Encephalitis claimed six more lives at the BRD medical college hospital in Gorakhpur, raising the total number of victims of the disease to 241 since January this year, health officials said on Sunday.

Six persons died during last 24 hours, while 25 fresh patients with encephalitis symptoms were admitted in the BRD hospital, the officials said.

Additional Director (health) L P Rawat said that 186 patients with symptoms of encephalitis have been admitted in BRD hospital, while 11 are undergoing treatment in other hospitals in Kushinagar, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Basti and Siddharthanagar.

A total of 1,115 patients admitted to various hospitals in the region this year of which 241 died. The six persons who fell prey to the disease in the last 24 hours belonged to Gorakhpur, Siddharthanagar, Kushinagar and Mahrajganj districts, they said.