13 Aug 2009

India shuts schools and cinemas over swine flu

6:27 am on 13 August 2009

Schools, colleges and cinemas in the Indian city of Mumbai have been closed in an effort to contain the spread of swine flu.

Mumbai is in Maharashtra state, which has seen 11 deaths of people who had contracted the H1N1 virus.

The death toll for the whole India is 17.

Schools will remain shut for a week and cinemas for three days.

The release of two high-profile Bollywood films has been postponed as a result of the cinema closures.

Most of the swine flu cases in India are among people who had returned from travelling overseas.