KASUR: The death toll in the food poisoning incident occurring in a remote rural area of Kasur district a couple of days back rose to four on Wednesday when three more members of the affected family, including its head, also died in the hospital.

The family, residing in Khankey, a hamlet across the river Sutlej near Kanganpur village in Chunian tehsil, had reportedly consumed a home-made sweet dish (kheer), some four days ago at their house.

Soon after consuming the sweet dish, all the family members, including the parents, fell sick.

Local sources say that instead of immediately getting medical treatment, the family relied on so-called faith healers.

Local sources say the sick family had been relying on ‘faith healers’, delaying medical treatment

However, when their condition deteriorated, the sick persons -- Qasim, 55, his wife Hasna Bibi, 52,sons Asif, 28, Nazim, 25 and Amanat, 15 – were shifted to the Chunian Tehsil Headquarters Hospital on Tuesday. Later, Nazim died at the hospital.

The four surviving family members were then shifted to the Lahore General Hospital (LGH), where the condition of Qasim and his wife was declared critical by the doctors.

On Wednesday, Asif, Amanat and Qasim also died during treatment in the LGH, taking the death toll to four. The condition of Hasana Bibi is still said to be critical.

Kanganpur police sources say that samples of the sweet dish consumed by the family have been sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Authority lab for analysis and the report is awaited. They say that the police are investigating different aspects of the incident.

The sources say, quoting the surviving woman, that a lizard had fallen into the sweet, but she took it lightly and served the dish after removing the reptile.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Muhammad Iqbal has sought a detailed report of the incident from the Kasur deputy commissioner.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2026