MANSEHRA: Two siblings died and three more were hospitalised after they drank contaminated water from a spring in Khabal village of Oghi tehsil here on Tuesday.

“We declared emergency in local hospitals following the death of two siblings over the consumption of a spring’s contaminated water as suggested by preliminary investigation,” district health officer Dr Shahzad Ali Khan told reporters.

Five children of Gulab Khan had fetched water from a spring close to their Khabal village. They all fell ill after consuming that water and were shifted the Charbagh basic health unit, where two, including Sadia, 11, and Mohammad Safdar, 3, died.

The rest, including Mohammad Akhtar, Gul Nawaz and Maimoona, were referred to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, Mansehra, where the condition of Gul Nawaz was reported to be critical.

Three more family members hospitalised

The DHO said following the deaths, villagers used mosque loudspeakers to warn others against using the spring’s water.

He said the department had begun investigation to ascertain the cause of the deaths.

“Besides other possibilities, we are also investigating if something poisonous was added to the spring,” he said.

Dr Shahzad said a team of sanitation workers and medics had been dispatched to the village, while an extra supply of medicines had been sent to the hospitals.

He said the department had collected samples of the spring’s water, which would be sent to the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, for detailed laboratory examination.

The DHO said the people of Khabal and adjoining villages were being educated on the ways to maintain hygiene to prevent outbreak of gastroenteritis.

‘TORTURE’ PROTESTED: The people of Ghazikot area on Tuesday protested the alleged torture and arrest of a local resident by the anti-terrorism squad’s personnel.

The protesters, who gathered first on the Karakoram Highway in Ghazikot area and then outside the press club building, demanded legal action against the ATS personnel for ‘illegally’ raiding a hotel and arresting Mohammad Hafiz.

District nazim Sardar Said Ghulam later showed up and assured protesters that justice would be done to Mr Hafiz.

Later, a delegation of Ghazikot people led by MPA Ibrar Tanoli met district police officer Ahsan Saifullah and informed him about the incident.

Mr Saifullah told visitors that necessary action would be taken if the ATS personnel were found to be involved in overstepping their power.

He also ordered inquiry into the incident saying a non-local police officer will carry out the inquiry in the presence of a local lawyer and journalists.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2017