AKIPRESS.COM - A doctor has been arrested in connection with the deaths of 14 women at a state-run sterilisation camp in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, reports BBC.

Dr RK Gupta and his assistant carried out the tubectomies on 83 women in Pendari village in Bilaspur district.

One more woman died on Wednesday night, and another has died after an operation at a second camp in the state.

In total more than 90 women remain in hospital, many in a critical condition, following operations at the two camps.

Protests have been held over the deaths, and the state government has ordered an inquiry. It is still not clear what caused the deaths.

Dr Gupta, who had been earlier feted by the state government for conducting a record number of sterilisations, was suspended after the deaths of women at a camp in Bilaspur on Saturday. He was arrested on Wednesday night.

Reports say he operated on 83 women in five hours - government rules say one surgeon should only perform 35 operations in a day.

When the women were brought in to hospital after the operations, they were vomiting continuously and their blood pressure had fallen dramatically, correspondents said.