Fourteen people, including three children died of consuming poisonous sweetmeatin Pakistan's Punjab province, police said today.
The sweetmeat was brought from a shop in Layyah district, some 325 kilometers from here, to celebrate the birthday of a child. It was served to seven members of a family. Their condition deteriorated soon after eating the sweetmeat. They were rushed to the nearby hospital.
"In addition to these seven patients, some25 other people of the village who ate the poisonous sweetmeat from the same shop were also brought to the hospital. But 14 of them died between yesterday and today,"Executive District Officer Ameer Abdullah told reporters.
He said the condition of some five more patients was critical.
The dead include three children.
Abdullah said the health department has sealed the sweet shop and seized the "remaining poisonous sweetmeat" and sent for laboratory examination.
"We have have also lodged an FIR the Pure Food Act against the shop owner," he said.
District Police Officer Layyah Muhammad Ali Zia said that the shop owner Khalid Mahmoud was arrested.
"Cheep imported liquid glucose is suspected to be used in manufacturing of the sweetmeat at the shop instead of sugar (which cost more)," he said.
