Poison Found in Sample After Five Khyber Children Die

Laboratory tests have found a poisonous substance in a sample taken from one of the Khyber children who died after falling unconscious at home, turning a medical mystery into a police investigation.

The finding came from Khyber Medical College, where blood, urine and other samples from the children were sent for analysis. Officials said on Thursday that the report confirmed the presence of poisonous material in a sample taken from one of the children.

The matter has now been referred to the district police officer in Khyber for investigation and legal action. Police will look into the nature of the substance and where it came from.

What happened to the Khyber children

Seven children from one family fell unconscious at their home in Qaziano Kalay, in the Bazaar Zakha Khel area of Khyber district, on November 9. Five of them died while being taken to hospital. The other two fell unconscious and were treated at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar.

All five children who died were under five years old. They included three girls and two boys. The two survivors have now been discharged from hospital after recovering, Deputy Commissioner Khyber Shahid Ali said.

Feature Pakistan first reported the deaths on November 9, when doctors could not explain what had made the children collapse. The children belonged to one family, and a special medical team was formed to visit the village and look into the cause.

Early tests had shown nothing wrong

The first medical tests gave no clear answer. Doctors at Hayatabad Medical Complex found the children’s calcium and magnesium levels normal, along with normal blood clotting readings. Haemoglobin was recorded at 11.7 and platelets at 634.

On that evidence, medical specialists had ruled out poisoning after the first round of tests. They ordered blood cultures, CT scans and further diagnostic screening to find the cause.

The Khyber Medical College report now points in a different direction. It confirms that a poisonous substance was present in at least one sample, though officials have not named the substance or said how the children came into contact with it.

What the police will investigate

The police inquiry will focus on two questions: what the substance was, and how it reached the children. Until those answers come, the cause of death remains a matter for investigation rather than a confirmed fact.

Possible sources raised in local discussion include contaminated food or water, pesticide or chemical exposure, and fumes from a heater or generator in a closed room. None of these has been confirmed by officials, and the police have not said which line they are pursuing.

The case has drawn attention because all seven children fell ill at the same time in one home. That pattern points to a shared exposure rather than an illness spreading from child to child.

The wider picture in Khyber

The deaths came in a week of grim news from the province. Ten policemen were martyred in an attack on a police team in Kohat, and police in Khyber have been carrying out operations against militant commanders. Separate incidents in Swabi and Dera Ismail Khan added to a difficult week for the region.

The children’s deaths are a separate tragedy, and the police investigation will now run alongside the medical work. The two surviving children have been discharged from hospital after recovering.

Frequently asked questions

What did the laboratory find?

Khyber Medical College confirmed a poisonous substance in a sample taken from one of the five children who died. The exact substance has not been named.

How many children were affected?

Seven children from one family fell unconscious. Five died on the way to hospital, and two survived after treatment at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar.

Where did the incident happen?

The children fell ill at their home in Qaziano Kalay, in the Bazaar Zakha Khel area of Khyber district, on November 9.

What happens next?

The case has been referred to the Khyber district police officer, who will investigate the nature and source of the substance and take legal action as needed.