VEHARI, Aug 10: Two children died while more than two dozen people hospitalized with cholera. Bushra and her 20-day-old sibling, the children of labourer Ramzan of Chak 204/EB, died of cholera on Wednesday. His other family members, Nasrin, 10, Pervez, 8, Sakina, 5, and Asad, 2, have been admitted to the DHQ hospital.

According to hospital sources, Ali Ahmad, Amna Bibi, Shamim Akhtar, Mohammad Khan, Raja Bibi, Mujeeb Ahmad, Ahmad Kamal, Mahboob Ahmad were among more than two dozen people admitted with cholera.

However, medical superintendent Dr Nasir Dilshad said the disease was not cholera. That was food poisoning reported from Chak 206-EB a few days ago.

Sources in the health department said the local government had set up a water supply scheme at a cost of Rs10 million in 1998 which has not yet been commissioned.

Residents of the area demanded clean drinking water and free of cost medicines for the affected families.