HARIPUR, May 16: Sudden increase in diarrhoea cases in some localities of Haripur prompted the health authorities to send water samples for lab test to the National Institute of Health, Islamabad, which confirmed that water contains organisms harmful for human health, sources said.

They said that hospitals in the district received dozens of diarrhoea patients with severe dehydration, most of them children, from localities including Khalabat Township, Afghan refugee camp and area near railway station during the last two weeks.

The sources said mostly children with severe dehydration had been hospitalised. They claimed about 40 diarrhoea cases a day were reported from Khalabat Township alone.

They said that the NIH had confirmed that the water used for drinking in these localities contained mainly the sheigella organism – bacteria found in the human waste.

The sources said that rusty and leaking supply lines were the main source of contamination of the drinking water.

When contacted, executive district officer, health, Dr Mazar Shah confirmed the report of increasing diarrhea cases, but said that the situation was under control and the local hospitals were equipped to cope with the situation.

Answering a question, he said that to protect citizens from such diseases damaged and rusty water lines should be replaced.

He said that for immediate relief to affected people in Khalabat Township, the health department would set up eight chlorination points. He advised people to use boiled water and observe personal hygiene to guard against seasonal diseases.

ONE KILLED: A woman was killed and her husband and minor were injured when their motorbike plunged into a roadside gorge near Makhnial Township here on Sunday evening.

Police said that the family from Noorpur Firash, Islamabad, was on a picnic in the bordering hilly area of Makhnial when their bike skidded off the road and fell into a gorge. As a result, Tahira Bibi died while her husband Imran and son Zain, 4, received injuries.

The villagers pulled out the body and the injured from the gorge and shifted them to PIMS, Islamabad.