Senior BMC official, NCP Corporator from Thane succumb to COVID-19 as cases cross 50,000

A 55-year-old Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) who had tested positive for Coronavirus died on Tuesday. According to the BMC, the official was deployed in the water supply department. He is the first high-ranking BMC official who has died after contracting the viral infection.

He had tested positive only the day before

"A senior official of BMC who had tested positive for COVID-19 has lost his life. He was deployed in the water supply department," ANI quoted BMC as saying.

He had tested positive only the day before. News agency PTI quoting BMC sources, however, said the exact cause of death was not known yet, and the official was not involved in any fieldwork related to the pandemic. The officer worked at the Municipal body's headquarters in South Mumbai, the sources added.

He was instrumental in pushing the Gargai dam project and also in the successful completion of a 15 km water tunnel between Gundawali and Bhandup, a senior official said.

NCP corporator passes away due to COVID-19

Meanwhile, a senior NCP Corporator Mukund Keni also succumbed to COVID-19 late on Tuesday night. He was on a ventilator in a private hospital, Republic TV sources said. Keni, who was the corporator of Kalwa under the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) had tested Coronavirus positive 14 days ago. 

Maharashtra Housing Minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad took to Twitter to pay his tribute to the departed soul.

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COVID-19 cases in Mumbai cross 50,000 mark

Ninety days after the first Coronavirus positive patient was found in Mumbai, the number of cases in the country's financial capital crossed 50,000 on Tuesday while the death toll reached 1,758. The number of coronavirus cases in Mumbai had crossed 10,000 on May 6 and  25,000 on May 21.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release that 1,015 new coronavirus patients were detected on Tuesday, taking the tally of cases to 50,878. The death toll due to the pandemic in Maharashtra's capital increased to 1,758 with 58 deaths recorded in the past 24 hours.

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904 patients were discharged from hospitals during this period, taking the number of recovered patients in the city to 22,942. According to the BMC, the city has 26,178 active patients while 690 new suspected patients have been admitted to various hospitals.

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(With agency inputs)