Srinagar, Feb 18 (ANI): The deadly H1N1 swine flu virus claimed two lives in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday (February 18). India has seen a sharp rise in the number of swine flu deaths and reported cases this year, prompting officials to investigate the cause and step up efforts to combat the virus. The victims, who succumbed to the disease at Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Srinagar city, included a man and a woman. A special isolated ward has been created at SKIMS for treating the patients of swine flu. Director of SKIMS, Doctor Showkat Ali Zargar, said so far 71 cases have been diagnosed in the hospital.