Report suggests Quetta family died due to bug spray

Rejects earlier claim that death of six members of family caused by ‘toxic food’

ISLAMABAD: A research institute of the Karachi University has revolved the mystery surrounding the tragic death of six members of a family and discovered that the woman and five children had died due to poisonous effect of an insecticide and not they food that the allegedly consumed.

Five siblings —two sisters and three brothers —died on Friday after allegedly consuming ‘toxic food’ that was ordered from a restaurant in Saddar while staying at Qasre Naz, an official residence where the family was staying after arrival from Quetta a day earlier. Another member of the family died on Sunday.

However, according to the initial report of the KU’s International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), the deaths were not caused by any poisonous food but due to the phosphate gas that emancipated from the anti-bug spray of Aluminum Phosphide.



The research centre chief Iqbal Chaudhry said an anti-bug spray containing Aluminum Phosphide was used in the affected room. “This produced Phosphine gas.  It was confirmed in the chemical forensic analysis that the deaths occurred due to poisonous gas.”

He said six months ago many children of a family also lost their lives due to the use of the same anti-bug spray. He noted that if steps were not taken even after all that there could be no greater apathy.

The final report on the causes of deaths, however, remains to be prepared. Chaudhry said the initial report has been handed over to Karachi commissioner.

“A large quantity of Aluminum Phosphide has been recovered from Qasre Naz’s room. The anti-bug spray was used in a large quantity in the affected room’s floor.

“The mother had slept on the bed while the children and their aunt slept on the floor. The dangerous spray and the poisonous gas affected the children and their aunt the most,” he added.