Area residents told The Express Tribune that a Milad function was held at the residence of Ali Alam. However, they added when the food was served, several people fell unconscious soon after consuming it as the food was stale.
The victims were immediately rushed to Nishtar Hospital for treatment. The doctors at the hospital said the condition of two children and one woman was critical. They maintained the food contained some chemicals due to which people fainted.
The victims were identified as Safia Mai, 30, Sumera Bibi, 23, Aaliya, 33, Abu Bakar, 4, Moosa, 6, Afzal, 40, Umair, 44, Ahsan, 22, Mohsin, 27, Talha , 35, Farrukh , 29 and Taimoor , 33.
While speaking to The Express Tribune, Mudassar, a neighbour of Alam, said the rice for cooking food was brought from the store located in the area. He added, “The food in one cauldron was either stale or poisonous, while the rest of 6 cauldrons were consumed by many people and they were not poisonous.”
Earlier on December 27, 2016, at least 39 people died and seven other fell unconscious after consuming toxic liquor in Toba Tek Singh district of Punjab. The affected people belonged to Christian community and they had consumed liquor in revelry, enjoying the Christmas eve.
Similarly, 15 people fell unconscious after consuming poisonous food at a marriage ceremony in Muzaffargarh’s Alipur Tehsil in April 2016.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 4th, 2017.
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