Poisonous substance detected in sample after 5 children die in Khyber

Two survivors discharged

Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of a poisonous substance in a sample taken from one of five children who died after a suspected poisoning incident in the Bazaar Zakha Khel area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa's Khyber district, officials said on Thursday.

At least seven children were affected by the suspected poisonous substance, five of whom died while two others fell unconscious.

Blood, urine and other samples collected from the children were sent for laboratory analysis. Reports received from Khyber Medical College confirmed the presence of poisonous material in a sample taken from one of the children.

Read: Mysterious illness claims lives of five children in Khyber

Following receipt of the laboratory findings, the matter was referred to the Khyber district police officer for further investigation and necessary legal action, sources said.

Police will now investigate the nature and possible source of the substance to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali said the children belonged to the same family and had fallen unconscious three days earlier in the Zakha Khel area.

Five of them died while being taken to the hospital, while the remaining two were taken to Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar. They were discharged after recovering, he added.