"Three more deaths were reported today. With this, the total death figure now stands at 46," said Chief District Health Officer (CDHO) Sabarkantha H S Patel. "Eleven new cases of hepatitis have been reported from different parts of the district and they have been shifted to hospitals," Patel said.

The vaccination drive in the North Gujarat district continued for the second day on Tuesday, trying to cover as many people as possible, he said.

Around 56,000 people were administered hepatitis-B vaccines in Modasa, the most affected area whose total population is estimated to be over 60,000.

Meanwhile, a doctor, Govind Patel, and his son Chintan, who had been booked on the charge of culpable homicide by the Health Department for using contaminated syringes, are yet to be arrested.

The district police said the father-son duo was evading arrest and had gone underground.

An FIR was filed against Govind Patel and his son after investigation by the Health Department showed most of the people infected with hepatitis in Modasa had taken treatment from them in the last six months.

The duo have been booked under Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC as several of the patients treated at their clinic were found positive for the viral disease and some of them died.