The number of deaths caused by drinking polluted water had risen to five after two more people died at Mfeko village in Mthatha yesterday, the Eastern Cape health department said.

The two deaths follow that of three men who died in the past two weeks after drinking polluted water from the same area.

"Five people including an eight-year-old child died after a short illness. All those who died displayed similar symptoms, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps," ward council Nomakholwa Mahashe said.

The OR Tambo District Municipality and the health department dispatched two water trucks to supply residents yesterday. The department also distributed water purification chemicals to each household.

"I can confirm that it's not cholera, because you can't have it in winter," said spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo.

Thirty-two villagers were also treated in May for diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps.

They claimed they started getting sick when they started drinking water from a nearby river when their taps ran dry in December. - Sapa-AP

• This article was originally published on page 2 of The Pretoria News on June 08, 2009