PARACHINAR, Aug 2: Three children died of diarrhoea in Kurram Agency, as doctors feared spread of contagious diseases in the restive area, due to non-availability of medicines.

A local physician, Dr Qasim Khan, told Dawn that death cases had been reported from Ahmadzai, Shalozan and Sameer villages in the Upper Kurram region during last 24 hours. He said that these minors had expired because of lack of medicines.

Medics said that infectious diseases, especially among children were spreading in the area, where medicines had not been supplied owing to blockade of the main road. They said that anaesthesia was not available in the main hospital of Parachinar, the regional headquarters.

Local authorities could not dispatch polio vaccines to the troubled area as a result campaign against polio had been suspended.