Swine flu toll mounts across country

Twenty-seven people, including a Swiss woman, on Thursday died of swine flu in five States while several fresh cases of the contagious disease, which has claimed nearly 450 lives this year, were reported.

The highest number of 13 deaths took place in Rajasthan where the 70-year-old tourist from Switzerland died at a hospital in Jodhpur.

Eight people died in Gujarat, three in Maharashtra, two in Punjab and one person in Uttar Pradesh.

While Nagaur and Jodhpur reported three deaths each, two persons died in Jaipur and Ajmer each and one death took place in Barmer, Karauli and Jaisalmer each .