KARACHI, Sept 17: While the authorities appeared relaxed after initial measures against gastroenteritis epidemic caused by the contamination of potable water, death of at least seven more children were reported in Landhi on Saturday, said sources in the medical circle.

Six casualties took place in Dawood Challi (UC-9) and one in Awami Colony, where people were reportedly consuming unsafe water for the last couple of days. Earlier, a child had died from contaminated water supply on Friday.

About 30 patients were brought to Sindh Government Hospital, Korangi, and another 250 were taken to Sessi Hospital, Landhi on Saturday. However, the children died before getting any medical aid.

A doctor at Korangi hospital said that though the hospital had furnished extra beds for gastroenteritis cases coming from Awami Colony No-1 of Landhi, patients started coming to hospital from Dawood Challi around 5pm. They complained of severe diarrhoea with vomiting, added the doctor.

Some residents of Challi said that they doubted the quality of water for the last couple of days. But, they felt that it was all due to rain and seepage.

EDO Health Khalid Shaikh told Dawn that six deaths of children in Dawood Challi area were reported till Saturday evening. People complained of contaminated supply since Friday while the symptoms of epidemic surfaced on Saturday morning. Consequently, in addition to shifting of patients to two nearby hospitals, emergency camps were set up in the area for treating the patients, including women and children.

Landhi TPO Mohammad Lakhani said that he had been reporting about the contaminated supply to water board, but no appropriate and immediate steps were taken to check the situation. There were reports about unsafe water supply to the residents of Awami Colony, Dawood Challi, Sherpao Colony and Bilal Colony located in Landhi for the last some days, which give to understand that the contamination problem was not isolated or limited to a particular locality.

“Believing that the quality of water supply to entire Landhi Town was not up to the mark, I have been urging KWSB officials to stop supply of piped water for the time being, but there was no response,” Mr Lakhani added, saying that the source of contamination was still to be ascertained.

A senior doctor at Government Korangi Hospital, Dr Shakil Siddiqi, said that at present 92 patients from Awami Colony and about 14 patients from Dawood Challi were admitted to different wards for treatment. He said that about 80 patients from Awami Colony, who reported to hospital on Saturday, were given treatment and discharged after a few hours.

INQUIRY ORDERED: The caretaker of city government, Fazlur Rehman, has ordered an inquiry into the deaths reportedly taking place after consumption of contaminated water. He also ordered provision of medical aid to the victims of Awami Colony and Dawood Challi on a war-footing basis.