Five children die after drinking from pesticide bottle

Three brothers among victims as unsafe disposal of hazardous containers sparks alarm

HYDERABAD:

The unsafe disposal of pesticide bottles is taking a toll on human lives in the rural areas with the deaths of five children in a village of Ghotki district reminding of the fatal hazard.

Three brothers are among the deceased who lost their lives during the past three to four days after using empty pesticide bottle for drinking water while returning from their school in village Arif Chajjar in the rural town Sarhad.

The fifth death of four-year-old Muhammad Khan occurred on Thursday in a local hospital. Waqar Ahmed, 10, and Ayaz Ahmed, nine, died on the first day while seven-year-old Allaudin and five-year-old Waseem breathed their last on Tuesday. Ayaz, Aladdin and Waseem were brothers.

The relatives of the deceased complained that the affected families are yet to receive an official word from the health authorities even though they are certain that the use of empty pesticides bottle claimed their lives.

The local residents also deplored that no regulatory mechanism existed to ensure safe disposal of such poisonous substances.