As many as 12 children have died of diptheria infection in the national capital, 11 of them at a municipal hospital, the area's civic body said on September 20.

The NDMC released a statement quoting Medical Superintendent of Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Disease Hospital, Sunil Kumar Gupta, as saying that diptheria cases occur only in this season and such a number of cases in the season was "not usual".

"From September 6-19, there have been 85 admissions (79 from outside Delhi and 6 from Delhi) of diphtheria cases out of which 11 patients could not survive," he said. The patients belonged to age group of up to 9 years, he said. The hospital in north-west Delhi is governed by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

"Out of 11 patients, only one child belonged to Delhi, other 10 children belonged to a particular region in western Uttar Pradesh. The 12th patient died at the LNJP Hospital, the hospital said. Gupta claimed the hospital has all the required treatment facilities to handle such cases. "The patients admitted at advanced stage could not respond to the treatment and hence could not survive," he said.