The number of people who applied to hospitals in the district of Elbistan in southern Kahramanmaraş province has reached 32,000 in the last two days as the town's water supply network was contaminated with norovirus.

Since Saturday, locals have been applying to hospitals with complaints of dizziness, fever and vomiting, causing panic amongst the residents of the town.

Samples were collected from the water supply and sent to Ankara for examining. Authorities stated that the water from the Ceyhan River leaked into several caisson wells of the water network, causing the norovirus contamination.

69 people remain hospitalized but none of them are in critical condition.

The infection is characterized by symptoms of gastroenteritis, which are nausea, vomiting, lethargy, watery diarrhea and abdominal pain.