Death by dinner: Eight people die of food poisoning

Both families believe something toxic fell into their food.

SUKKUR/ KARACHI:

A total of eight people died in two separate incidents in Ghotki and Jacobabad on Wednesday after eating contaminated food.

The first incident took place in village Haji Hasil Bhutto, situated on the Sindh-Punjab border nearly 25 kilometres away from Daharki, on Wednesday afternoon when the wife of Muhammad Qabil Shaikh - a peasant by profession - prepared a meal for the children. Qabil’s two children - four-year-old Aneela and three-year-old Sabir - both fell unconscious after eating the food, along with two-year-old Shahid Ali, son of Nazir Shaikh and four-year-old Shahzadi, daughter of Liaqat Ali Shaikh, who were also sharing the meal. All four children were taken to the Daharki Hospital, where the doctors declared them dead. The parents are being quoted as saying that a poisonous insect may have fallen into the children’s food, which resulted in their death.

DSP Ubauro Khalid Memon, who was investigating the matter, also told The Express Tribune that the parents of the dead children were saying that all four children fell unconscious after drinking lassi. Quoting their statement, he said that a poisonous insect may have fallen into the drink. The family said that they did not have personal enmity with anyone and do not want to register a case.

The other incident took place in village Alamoo Marhata, which is situated on the Sindh-Balochistan border near Tangwani, where 12 members of a family fell unconscious after dinner. The affected persons were shifted to Civil Hospital Jacobabad but 70-year-old Bello Marhata, 25-year-old Muhibi Khatoon, 35-year-old Bashiran and seven-year-old Saleem breathed their last breaths on the way.

Those admitted in the hospital include Gabol Marhata, Najeebullah, Meharullah, Ghughi Khatoon, Bhagi Khatoon, 6-year-old Benazeer and 8-year-old Ameeran. All of them are reported to be in stable conditions. Family sources believe that some form of pesticide may have fallen into the wheat flour.

Not a lone incident

Incidents of food poisoning are rampant in different parts of Upper Sindh. In some cases, people have lost their lives while dozens have also fallen unconscious. Last year, two children lost their lives in village Deenpur near Thull while more than six people fainted and were shifted to the hospital. In 2013, 30 labourers fell unconscious in Kashmore after eating poisonous food. No casualties, however, were reported. Multiple cases of food poisoning have been reported in Daharki, Ubauro, Mirpur Mathelo and even Karachi.

Earlier this year, on January 1, two sisters died while their mother and three siblings fell ill after consuming poisonous food at their home in Korangi. Police officials said that the victims had consumed ‘egg and potatoes.’ Samples of the food were dispatched to laboratories for examination of the food but no foul play was found.

Similarly in August 2013, five sisters, aged between five to 22 years, passed away after the whole family had dinner at their home in Gulshan-e-Maymar. The police suspected the mother to be behind the poison and sent samples of the food suspected to be poisoned for testing. They believed that the poison was mixed in the dough of the roti as that was the common item everyone consumed.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2014.