'In fact, at the Pune railway station, a majority of the people alighting wear face masks of different colours, blue, green, white, or any other that is available in the market,' said Awate, who travelled here from Mumbai Friday morning by train.

In another development, the Bund Garden Police Station here has forwarded the complaint received from the parents of Reeda Shaikh, the teenager who succumbed to the disease, to the PMC health department.

'We have asked them to set up a committee as per the government notification of 2005 and submit its report, inform us who are the guilty persons. We hope to get the report early next week and we shall immediately act in the matter,' said police inspector S.M. Nadgouda.

Reeda's distraught parents have alleged negligence on the part of the private Jehangir Hospital and Ruby Hall Clinic where their daughter was treated. Police have also received directives from the state government to initiate proceedings against the hospital and clinic.

The number of patients affected by H1N1 swine flu in India was 616 Thursday. Of these, 487 have been discharged so far.