BAHAWALPUR: Seven young women, including six teenage girls, fell seriously ill after they allegedly drank water contaminated with pesticide in a cotton field at Chak 11/BC near DHA on Friday.

According to Rescue 1122, the young women, identified as Shakeela Bibi (16), Surraya Bibi (14), Sameena Bibi (25), Shazia Bibi (18), Misbah (11), Rafia (18) and Rabia Bibi (14), were plucking cotton in the field.

They had also a large water cooler and someone accidentally placed the lid dipped with pesticide, which mixed with the water. As the cotton pickers drank the adulterated water, they started vomiting. Three ambulances of Rescue 1122 shifted the seven women to the Bahawal Victoria Hospital.

ACCIDENT: A driver was killed while his cleaner suffered serious injuries when the trailer hit the rear of another trailer going ahead of it at Noorpur Nauranga Chowk near Khanqah Sharif on the National Highway.

The rescuers handed over deceased’s body to police and provided first aid to the injured.

BAN: Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Anwar Jappa has banned boating, crossing the river Sutlej and movement on riverbank across the district in view of the flood conditions.

According to an official announcement, this order will remain enforced for a week in the river areas of Magwani, Mari Qasim Shah, Mochiwala, Yousafwala, Toka Juma Khan in Abbasnagar, Sutlej bridge, Bahawalpur, Khairpur Tamewali, Fatehpur, Qutabpur, Kand Mahar, Jhoke Randhoo, Bonga Ramzan Khan and areas of tehsil Hasilpur.

BVH: After Governor Balighur Rehman took notice of the dysfunctional heating, ventilation, air-conditioning (HVAC) system in the kidney unit of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), the administration was restored on Friday.

According to BVH MS Dr Aamir Bokhari, the system has now been made completely functional in the unit.

Published in Dawn, Aug 5th, 2023