KARACHI: Two minor brothers died on Sunday after eating ‘poisonous food’ at a restaurant in Clifton, officials said.

The tragic deaths prompted the Sindh chief minister to take its notice and subsequently authorities sealed the restaurant and took food samples and also took samples from another shop where the family had got sweets near Nisar Shaheed Park late on Saturday night.

The chief minister directed the food authority to start inspection of all restaurants in the city.

“Two minor brothers namely Ahmad, one and half year old, and Muhammad, five, died from food poisoning on Sunday afternoon,” said Karachi South SSP Pir Muhammad Shah.

The senior officer added that their mother Ayesha had been hospitalised.

“They reportedly had dinner at a Zamzama restaurant and bought ‘candies’ at a shop in Phase IV on Saturday night,” the SSP added.

“Both facilities have been sealed for forensics.”

The family returned to their residence in Defence at around 2am and their condition deteriorated at around 5am to 6am.

They were taken to a private hospital in Clifton where both the minor brothers died during treatment on Saturday afternoon while their mother was admitted.

Quoting the mother, Additional IG Karachi Dr Amir Ahmed Shaikh told Dawn that the family reached home at 2am and started vomiting at 6am.

“Relatives present in the home took them to the hospital at 2:45pm, after a considerable delay.”

Dr Amir said that food poison affected the body within four hours of its consuming.

The investigators have taken samples of vomit from dustbin and clothes of the children and their blood and urine samples.

Besides, the children had also taken packed milk at home and the police have taken its samples too, the police told Dawn.

The mother told the police that the candies, which the children bought at the shop, had a ‘strange flavour’.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and IGP Dr Syed Kaleem Imam took notices of the incident and the chief minister sought a report from the city commissioner.

Sindh Food Authority director operations Ibrar Shaikh visited the restaurant and submitted an initial report to the chief minister.

The food authority earlier had also issued a notice to the restaurant to ‘improve’ their hygienic conditions, the chief minister’s spokesperson claimed.

“Last night, the police conducted their investigation, and moved on after clearing the restaurant. We wish them well on the finding the root cause and upon hearing the dreadful news, would like to offer heartfelt condolences,” the restaurant said in a statement.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2018