Kalaburagi (Karnataka), March 13 (IANS): Eight family members of a septuagenarian, who is the first fatality of COVID-19 in India, were quarantined in a hospital in Karnataka's Kalaburagi city, a top official said on Friday. Seven neighbours of the family too have been kept in isolation.

"The family of the 76-year-old man, who died of COVID-19 on March 10, has been quarantined in an isolation ward at the ESI Hospital here," Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner B. Sharath told IANS.

Kalaburagi is around 575km north of Bengaluru in the southern state.

The family consists of the old man's son, daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law and their four children.

"Blood samples of the four elder members have been sent for tests to the virology research institute in Bengaluru as they have complained of cough and cold. Their house has been sanitised," Sharath said.

Seven persons, neighbours of the victim's family, have also been kept in a separate ward in the state-run hospital under watch.

"In addition, 32 people who came in contact with the family after the victim returned from Saudi Arabia on February 29 and was admitted to a private hospital in the city for treatment have been screened and told to remain indoors," added Sharath.

Though the victim died on Tuesday night at a private hospital in Hyderabad, about 230km east of Kalaburagi, his body was brought here and buried on Wednesday as per government guidelines on disposing the bodies of such victims.