KARACHI, Nov 29: Fifty more buffaloes died due to ailments related to poisonous feed on Thursday at Cattle Colony, Landhi, pushing the death toll to 450 over a week.

Amid rumours of the sale of the infected meat in the market, the city government has made arrangements to dispose of the carcasses at a deserted site near a coastal village.

Sources in the city government said that such rumours were gaining ground due to the reluctance of the city government to announce a compensation to the affected cattle farmers.

The official in charge of the Government Veterinary Hospital, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, said that the 50 buffaloes, which had been under treatment at the facility for a week, died after consuming poisonous feed.

All had been buried at a place near the coastal village Lat Basti, he said. He also expressed fears that more of these infected animals might die in the days to come.

EDO Agriculture Mohen Lal said that all the 11 affected cattle pens were being strictly guarded by veterinarians of the city government to ensure that no illegal slaughter took place.

He said that the city government had provided free treatment to the infected animals and provided vehicles and staff to pick and bury the dead. Sources said that illegal slaughter of infected animals had been effectively controlled after government’s intervention, though initially the affected cattle farmers had opted to slaughter these animals due to their deteriorating condition.