BAHAWALPUR, Jan 22: Seventeen people, including women and children, fell unconscious after taking poisonous drinks and sweets in two incidents here on Monday. The first incident was reported in Up-Quetta Express that was bound for Peshawar from Quetta and was passing through Bahawalpur. On receipt of advance information, the local railway police collected 11 unconscious passengers from a coach of the train.

Abdul Qayyum, a gardener of a sensitive department, in Quetta was travelling with his family.

At night, unidentified swindler(s) offered soft drinks to Qayyum’s family members and a few other passengers in the train. After taking the drink, they fell unconscious.

The condition of five of them was stated to be serious.

The affected people included Abdul Qayyum, his wife Saleh Bibi, Zubeda Begum, Asma (4), Afaq (5), Abdul Zahir (6), Zainul Abadin(3), Atif, Wahid of Quetta, and Hayatullah (38) of Faisalabad.

Local railway police have registered a case against unidentified swindler(s). They have not yet given details of the loss the affected commuters suffered.

In the second incident that took place at Mauza Sharifabad near Sammasatta here, a woman, Guddu Bibi, had reportedly sent sweets to the house of Majid.

Majid and his family members Idrees (9), Asim (7), Taj Bibi (45) and Mussarrat Bibi(18) fell unconscious after eating them.

Sadar police have registered a case and are investigating.