TAXILA: Police in Pindigheb town on Friday arrested a food point owner after two siblings allegedly died of food poisoning while their mother was admitted in critical condition.

According to sources, Mohammad Ikram, a native of Dhoke Jutt, Ghreabwal, purchased fried chicken from a food point located in Pindigheb town and brought it home. After consuming the meal, the family fell ill. As their condition deteriorated, they were rushed to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Pindigheb, where his son, Abdul Ahad passed away. His other son, Abdul Sammad died on the way to the hospital in Rawalpindi. The victims’ mother remains in critical condition.

Police acting promptly, sealed the food point, collected samples of the food and arrested the owner. A case was registered against the owner under section 322, 337-I of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

When contacted, Chief Executive of the District Health Authority Dr Asad Ismail confirmed the death of two minors due to food poisoning.

He said that preliminary investigations by the health and food department teams indicate that the children died of gastroenteritis. He said that a team of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA) collected samples from the food point and sent them for clinical examination.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2024