Hyderabad:16 out of 22 from bridegroom's family test positive in Dhoolpet

Hyderabad: Defiance of lockdown guidelines and failure to follow the Covid-19 protocols at a function organised to celebrate an engagement on May 11 turned out to be trigger point for spread of deadly coronavirus in one of the city's oldest locality – Dhoolpet. It is said that 16 out of 22 from a single family of the bridegroom tested positive.

According to reliable sources, the family from Jhingur Basti in Dhoolpet area organised engagement ceremony at a function hall near Rampura on May 11. Sources said that there were nearly 200 members at the engagement ceremony. Visitors were limited in numbers in the beginning but later increased as the function went on.

When the information reached the local police, they rushed to the marriage hall which was given on hire violating the lockdown rules. It seems on seeing the police many gave a slip and left the venue and nearly 50 or so were left in the hall. The police locked the function hall from outside. Later, the authorities recorded the names and addresses of the invitees.

Sources said that the authorities took the family members of the bridegroom for tests and 16 out of 22 were reportedly tested positive for coronavirus.

The father of bridegroom aged 55 who was admitted in Chest hospital on Saturday died while being shifted to Gandhi. However, the family members said that he died of heart attack. It is not known how many of the family members were affected because of the engagement party. According to sources, there are four persons in the age group of 32 to 35 and five children including a two-year-old child who tested positive. Sources said that one of the family members is said to be critical with breathing problem.

The authorities are now on a look out for the people who have attended the function on May 11. Panic gripped the locality at Rampura after they got to know about the function and the positive cases in the area. "We are scared after we got to know about people being shifted to hospital for coronavirus. We don't know who got affected and where they have gone after attending the function," said a local resident of Rampura Bhanu Prasad.

Authorities have barricaded the area at Jhingur Basti in Dhoolpet and restricted the movement of the residents. Sources said that the police authorities are inquiring how the function hall management gave the hall for the function defying the lockdown orders.