ISLAMABAD, July 5 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people have been killed and scores of others have been admitted in hospitals following a cholera outbreak in a district of northwestern Pakistan, health authorities said Sunday.

    The private NNI news agency quoted Dr. Muhammad Aslam, executive health officer of the Dera Ismail Khan district, as saying that a team of doctors had been sent to the area with vaccines and the health department was ready to face the challenge, adding that more vaccination would be sent to the area if needed.

    Aslam said that about 800 locals of the Naivela Union Council of the Dera Ismail Khan district had not received vaccination due to shortage of vaccine drops.

    He added that the reason behind the outbreak was unhygienic water and scorching heat.

    In most parts of the Dera Ismail Khan district, power remains suspended for nearly 14 to 16 hours and tube wells in the area are also closed, locals residents were quoted as saying.

    The NNI said that the residents complained that they were compelled to drink polluted water of pounds and feared that cholera could brake out in other parts of the district.