A diarrhoea outbreak in a few villages in Odisha's Kandhamal district has claimed five lives and affected 20 others in the last two weeks, officials said on Wednesday.

The outbreak took place in Kanibali village on September 18 and spread to six other neighbouring villages in remote Durgapanga panchayat in Kotagarh block, they said.

Public Health Director Nilakantha Mishra said that the outbreak is suspected to have taken place after a feast in the village.

"Health teams have been sent to the area and the situation is under control at present. We are closely monitoring the situation," he added.

Baliguda Sub-divisional Medical Officer Shravan Kumar Sahukar said that the disease spread to Didili, Sakadi, Sindhibali and a few other villages and has claimed five lives so far.

Officials said that the affected people have been admitted to various hospitals in Kotagarh and Baliguda in Kandhamal and Muniguda in neighbouring Rayagada district.

Three health teams have been pressed into service and measures are being taken to prevent further spread of the disease but ambulances failed to reach the area due to hilly terrain and absence of motorable roads, they said.

Although the official death toll is five, villagers claimed that at least a dozen people have died due to the disease in the recent past.

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