MINGORA: Two women of a family died after they mistakenly drank toxic beverages here on Saturday, police said.

Charbagh police officials said a woman identified as Fazilat, a widow, and her mother-in-law, Gul Andama, mistakenly drank beverage mixed with poisonous powder in Dherai Asharbanr area. A one-year old girl from the same house, who also swallowed the toxic beverage, was shifted to hospital in a critical condition.

According to their neighbours, the family wanted to mix energy powder into water to beat the heat but mistakenly mixed some poisonous powder which killed the two women and left the child unconscious.

In another incident, a young woman, 17, committed suicide by consuming poison at Khaim Dara area of Kabal tehsil. The reason behind suicide, according to local sources, was a domestic issue. Civil society members and human rights activists have showed concern over surge in suicide incidents in the valley, and demanded of the government to take notice of it.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2016