SIALKOT, Oct 6: An infant and a minor girl died while over 15 other children fell unconscious after they were administered a dose of expired vaccine against six diseases by a team of local health department at Allo Chak village, Talwara Mughlan, on Sunday evening.

Reports said a health department team went to the village and gave drops of an expired vaccine to the minor children. Two of them, Habib (nine-month) and Saira, 12, died instantaneously and more than 15 others fell unconscious. The health team fled the scene.

The unconscious children were admitted to the Sialkot Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital where doctors stated their condition critical.

The villagers, later, protested the negligence of the health department team and demanded their immediate arrest.

Punjab Industries Minister Muhammad Ajmal Cheema and Punjab Labour and Human Resource Minister Syed Akhtar Husain Rizvi inquired after the minor children at the hospital.

They ordered a departmental action against the health department’s officials concerned.