Over 100 hospitalised after food poisoning at Parachinar wedding

Many, including children, fell ill after a wedding meal in Parachinar and were hospitalised before being discharged.

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At least 100 people were hospitalised following a suspected food poisoning incident at a wedding feast in Parachinar, the main city in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district, health officials said on Friday.

Children were among the most severely affected after consuming food at a wedding attended by over 200 guests, District Health Officer Dr Qaiser Abbas confirmed. Many attendees began falling ill shortly after the meal and were rushed to hospital, where they received treatment and were later discharged.

Authorities suspect the outbreak was caused by food contamination leading to gastroenteritis. An investigation is currently underway, with oversight from the assistant commissioner.

The incident comes amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Kurram, where a deadly attack on a convoy in Lower Kurram’s Bagan area last year prompted the closure of the vital Thall-Parachinar Road. The attack claimed dozens of lives and intensified clashes between rival clans.

The road closure has severely restricted access to food, medicine, and oxygen supplies, exacerbating hardships in the region. Relief goods are currently being delivered by special convoys under tight security.

Efforts to restore peace led to an eight-month truce brokered in late March between warring factions. However, residents and tribal elders continue to urge the government to reopen the road, citing growing difficulties in accessing essential services.

Traders in the region staged a shutter-down strike on Tuesday to protest the road’s closure, which has now entered its seventh month, demanding immediate government intervention to ensure safe and unimpeded movement.