Fresh poultry deaths in Assam

Fresh deaths of poultry were reported from across bird flu-hit Assam on Saturday even as the Centre asked the state government to complete culling operations by December 16.

Sources, however, said the cause of deaths in Naoboicha sub-division of North Lakhimpur, Sivasagar town, Tamulpur block of Baksa and Kharguli (Ward No 37) is yet to be confirmed. Government spokesman Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "Samples have been collected from four areas and will be sent to laboratories in Bhopal and Pune.