The dead are Ahamed Ali, son of a Social Welfare Department employee at Jaldhaka; Rashidul Islam, son of Abu Taher of Cherenga village and Sumon, son of Md Latif of Bagulagari village in Jaldhaka; Aleya, daughter of Abdul Kazi of South Gayabari village in Dimla; Sharif, son of Mohor Ali of Zorabari union in Domar; Sapna, daughter of Julmat Mia of Dohol Para village in Dimla and Baby, daughter of Saju Mia of Sadar upazila. Two other victims from Sayedpur and Domar could not be identified.

However the district health department control room admitted death of four children.

There has been a rush of pneumonia patients, most of those children, to the Nilphamari Sadar Hospital and the six upazila health complexes with the onset of winter season.

On Monday, 28 patients were brought to the Sadar Hospital, sources there said.

This correspondent while visiting the Sadar Hospital and health complexes at Domar, Dimlaa and Jaldhaka on Tuesday found child patients even on floors as all beds were occupied. In absence of children's wards, patients have been accommodated in female wards with other patients.

This correspondent also came to know that medicines were scarce at the hospitals. Moxizentin and Oradenon injections were in short supply.

Fatema Begm, mother of four-year-old Ratan, said at the Sadar Hospital that she had been buying medicine for her son from outside for the last seven days.

But Nilphamari Civil Surgeon Nazrul Islam declined to term the disease pneumonia. It is bronchiolities, an acute respiratory track infection caused by virus. "Children are its main victims", he added.

Child specialist Abu Ahmed Mortuza at Nilphamari

Sadar Hospital also termed the disease bronchiolities.

The Civil Surgeon denied shortage of medicines at the Sadar Hospital but admitted accommodation problem.

A ward for pneumonia patients will be opened at the Sadar Hospital within two to three days, he said.