As the bird flu spread to more areas in West Bengal, one poultry seller in the state's Malda district allegedly committed suicide due to losses he suffered in his trade.

Ananda Haldar, 28, a chicken seller of Malancha Pally in English Bazar area of the town was found dead near railway tracks on Sunday.

His family said that his livelihood depended on selling chicken. He had taken a loan from a money-lender to buy chicken for sale on Moharrum, they said.

But he could not sell a single chicken in the last few days because of the fear of bird flu. This must have forced Ananda to commit suicide, they added.

District Magistrate Chittaranjan Das, however, said that Ananda might have been knocked down by a train.