The number of people who died from the A/H1N1 flu in Canada rose to 42 on Tuesday, health officials said.

Quebec reported a new death Tuesday, bringing the province's death toll to 16, more than any other province.

The victim was a woman in her 60s from the Montreal area who had underlying medical conditions, provincial health officials said.

There have also been 14 deaths in Ontario, six in Manitoba, three in Saskatchewan and three in Alberta.

Across Canada, there have been more than 9,855 cases of the virus since the outbreak began. Officials say the common flu sends about 20,000 Canadians to hospital each year. Between 4,000 and 8,000 Canadians can die of influenza and its complications annually, depending on the severity of the season.

(Xinhua News Agency July 15, 2009)