Karnataka, July 1 -- Following the alarming heart-attack related deaths in Karnataka's Hassan, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday stated that it "cannot be denied that the hasty approval and distribution of the Covid vaccine to the public could also be a reason for these deaths".

The Karnataka CM said that the state government had taken a "serious note" of the situation and announced a committee of experts led by Dr C N Ravindranath to probe the cause of the deaths.

The panel has been instructed to submit its findings within 10 days.

Karnataka's Hassan district has been gripped by heart attack-related deaths where 23 deaths have been reported in the last 40 days, including four on June 30 alone. Majority of the victims were aged be...