The sweltering summer heat has continued to send more people, mainly children and elderly, suffering from diarrhoea and crowding hospitals in Dhaka city and other parts of the country. A two-year girl, Ria Moni, of Narayanganj died Tuesday on way to ICDDR,B hospital at Mohakhali in Dhaka, her family said. At least one person died and 11,861 others infected with diarrhoea in past seven days, according to the control room of the health directorate that complies reports from public hospitals in districts. Though summer heat and water problem were the main reasons, health officials said low quality food intake also contributed to the latest outbreak of the disease. Poor people were consuming stale and rotten food due to rocketing food prices and drinking unsafe water, said Dr Habiba Khatun, assistant director of (disease control) of health services directorate. According to the control room, due to hot spell and other reasons related to water and food, a total of 1,607 diarrhoeal patients were admitted into different district hospitals and upazila health complexes in 10 districts Monday. The number was 825 on Friday. Hospitals in Bogra received the highest 148 patients Monday, while 131 were admitted in Bhala, 97 in Jossore, 87 in Noaga, 85 in Feni, 76 in Narayanganj, 64 in Kurigram, 58 in Habiganj, 50 in Pabna, 38 in Narail and 37 in Pirojpur. A total of 507 diarrhoea patients came to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research at Mohakhali in Dhaka Monday. ICDDR,B officials said they were handling more than 500 patients everyday since Friday. Children were the most among the patients, they said.