Six family members' death: New report points finger at PWD officials

KARACHI: A report compiled by Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD) officials has revealed that the anti-bug spray of Aluminum Phosphide led to the death of six members of a family that had stayed at Qasre Naz last month, ARY News reported.

According to the latest findings, five siblings – two sisters and three brothers – and their aunt died owing to fumigation in the state guest room where they had stayed after their arrival from Quetta.

The report said PWD engineers and other relevant officials didn’t take precautionary measures with regard to fumigation. Moreover, the chemical was purchased without following due legal process as neither a tender was invited nor approval from the department was sought.

It said the chemical was not purchased from Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta or Peshawar. The PWD is responsible for fumigation and other affairs concerning the guest house.

Earlier, a research institute of the Karachi University had stated that the woman and five children had died due to poisonous effect of an insecticide and not from food poisoning as intial reports suggested.

The initial report of the KU’s International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) said the deaths were not caused by any poisonous food but due to the Phosphate gas that was caused by the anti-bug spray of Aluminum Phosphide.