Three siblings die of 'food poisoning' in Karachi
Police suspect food was contaminated by insecticide spraying in deceased children’s house
Police suspect food was contaminated by insecticide spraying in deceased children’s house. PHOTO: PPI
KARACHI:
Three minor siblings died from suspected food poisoning in Kharadar on Tuesday.
According to South DIG Sharjeel Kharal, the siblings, identified as 11-year-old Aiza, eight-year-old Saad and two-year-old Safa, residing in a building near Allah Rakha Park, suddenly began feeling sick around 6am, following which they were rushed to Kharadar General Hospital. However, doctors sent them back home after medical examination, the DIG said, adding that the children were again taken to the hospital when they fell sick for the second time later in the day.
“While two of them were declared dead on arrival [at the hospital], one was referred to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre so that she could be put on a ventilator but she, too, died on the way,” the DIG said.
Earlier, Kharadar Police Station SHO Ahsan Zulfiqar told The Express Tribune that the deceased siblings’ father was out of the city when the incident took place and their other family members had revealed to police that the deceased had bought and eaten some edibles from outside as well as consumed home-cooked food after which they fell sick. The SHO, however, added that the family was not cooperating in carrying out further investigation of the matter, refusing to initiate any legal action, while police had been insisting to at least be given the samples of food cooked at home so that they could be tested at a laboratory and the cause of the deaths be ascertained.
He said police suspected that the food consumed by the children was contaminated as a consequence of an insecticide being sprayed inside the house.
Reiterating these suspicions, DIG Kharal confirmed that the deceased’s family did not agree for a post-mortem and buried the bodies without letting police carry out any medico-legal formalities.
He added that the deceased children’s father had returned to the city and police were now investigating the matter under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code, pertaining to probe into the cases of death.
The DIG has also sought a report on the matter from City SSP.
Three minor siblings died from suspected food poisoning in Kharadar on Tuesday.
According to South DIG Sharjeel Kharal, the siblings, identified as 11-year-old Aiza, eight-year-old Saad and two-year-old Safa, residing in a building near Allah Rakha Park, suddenly began feeling sick around 6am, following which they were rushed to Kharadar General Hospital. However, doctors sent them back home after medical examination, the DIG said, adding that the children were again taken to the hospital when they fell sick for the second time later in the day.
“While two of them were declared dead on arrival [at the hospital], one was referred to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre so that she could be put on a ventilator but she, too, died on the way,” the DIG said.
Earlier, Kharadar Police Station SHO Ahsan Zulfiqar told The Express Tribune that the deceased siblings’ father was out of the city when the incident took place and their other family members had revealed to police that the deceased had bought and eaten some edibles from outside as well as consumed home-cooked food after which they fell sick. The SHO, however, added that the family was not cooperating in carrying out further investigation of the matter, refusing to initiate any legal action, while police had been insisting to at least be given the samples of food cooked at home so that they could be tested at a laboratory and the cause of the deaths be ascertained.
He said police suspected that the food consumed by the children was contaminated as a consequence of an insecticide being sprayed inside the house.
Reiterating these suspicions, DIG Kharal confirmed that the deceased’s family did not agree for a post-mortem and buried the bodies without letting police carry out any medico-legal formalities.
He added that the deceased children’s father had returned to the city and police were now investigating the matter under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code, pertaining to probe into the cases of death.
The DIG has also sought a report on the matter from City SSP.