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India’s plague outbreak

After the pneumonic plague broke out, the city of Surat went from being one of the dirtiest cities in India, to the cleanest.

In 1994, the pneumonic plague broke out in the city of Surat, causing mass panic.

It saw the largest migration across India since independence was declared in 1947.

Ashley Byrne speaks to Doctor Vibha Marfatia who fled along with her family.

This is a Made in Manchester production for the ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ World Service.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

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(Photo: Surat, India, during the plague outbreak. Credit: RAVEENDRAN/AFP via Getty Images)

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9 minutes

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Thu 19 Sep 2024 02:50GMT

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