Four siblings aged between seven and 14 years died after eating contaminated food in Pakistan's central Punjab province, officials said today.
The children - Sumera, Humaira, Mujahid and Zahid - were residents of Nurpur village in Vehari district, located 250 km from provincial capital Lahore. They fell unconscious two days ago after having dinner at home.
They were admitted to a nearby hospital, where they died yesterday.
Liaquat Babar, the doctor who conducted their autopsy, declared "food poisoning" as the cause of death.
"Blood and food samples have been sent to a laboratory for chemical examination, which will determine the exact cause of death," he said.
Police registered a case against unidentified persons after getting a complaint from the children's mother, Sughra Bibi.
She said she had no idea how the food served to her children turned out to be contaminated.
The children's father, Haq Nawaz, works as labourer in Saudi Arabia.
