MULTAN: Some 33 people including five children have now died in the Karor Lal Esan area of Punjab after eating sweets accidentally tainted with insecticide, officials said on Sunday. The mass poisoning occurred last month.
“The death toll from poisonous sweets has risen to 33 and 13 other victims are still in hospital,” district police chief Muhammad Ali Zia told police. Local resident Umar Hayat bought the baked confectionery on April 17 to distribute to friends and family to celebrate the birth of his grandson.
But their jubilation was short-lived when 10 people died the same day. Police investigator Haji Mohammad Akhtar said that two sweet shop owners and one worker who were arrested after the incident would be brought before a court on Monday.
Akhtar said a chemical examination had indicated the presence of agriculture pesticides in the sweets, which had been consumed by 52 people.