2016 Punjab sweet poisoning explained

From 20 April to 8 May 2016, at least 33 people, including five children, died in District Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan after eating a purposely poisoned laddu, a baked confection.[1] Testing of the confectioneries revealed they were laced with the highly toxic insecticide chlorfenapyr. A sweet shop owner, Khalid Mahmood, confessed to mixing the pesticide into the sweets after an argument with his brother and co-owner.[2]

Causes

A pesticide shop, close by the bakery where the sweets were bought, was being renovated, and the owner had left his products at the bakery for safekeeping.[3] Mahmood may have used a small packet in the sweet mixture.[4]

A man bought 5 kg of laddu for the celebration of a newborn on 17 April. At least 50 people consumed the sweets and ten of them died the same day.[3] On 25 April, the death toll rose to 23 with 52 people still being treated at various hospitals.[4] On 1 May the death toll rose to 33 with 13 people in hospital.[3] [5] In one case, a baby lost his father, six uncles and one aunt.

Aftermath

Two shop owners and one worker were initially arrested.[3] Two weeks later the police announced that Mahmood had confessed.

The Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, stated that the incident would be thoroughly investigated, and ordered the police to find and take action against the responsible people.[6]

The Chief Minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, visited Layyah on 2 May, and expressed his condolences and regrets for the loss of life.[6]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1 May 2016 . Pakistan poisoned sweets death toll climbs to 33 . AFP . 11 March 2020 . 17 May 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210517143202/https://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-poisoned-sweets-death-toll-climbs-33-144633458.html . dead .
  2. Web site: Sims . Alexandra . 6 May 2016 . Sweet shop owner admits killing 30 people with poison-laced sweets . 20 January 2017 . The Independent . 17 February 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180217221520/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/pakistani-sweetshop-owner-admits-killing-30-people-with-poison-laced-sweets-a7017236.html . live .
  3. Web site: Mass Food Poisoning Kills 33 Including 5 Children In Pakistan's Multan. Agence France-Presse. 1 May 2016. NDTV.com. 2 May 2016. 21 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190921040710/https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/mass-food-poisoning-kills-33-including-5-children-in-pakistans-multan-1401483. live.
  4. News: 25 April 2016 . Poisoned sweets kill 23 people in Pakistan . ABC News . 12 December 2023 . 12 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212060550/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-25/poisoned-sweets-kill-23-people-in-pakistan/7356394 . live .
  5. News: van Lonkhuyzen . Liza . 1 May 2016 . Minstens 33 doden in Pakistan door gif in snoepgoed . 12 December 2023 . nrc.nl . nl . 20 September 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160920144633/http://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2016/05/01/ten-minste-33-doden-in-pakistan-door-gif-in-snoep-a1407538 . live .
  6. Web site: 2 May 2016 . Toxic sweets case: CM Punjab visits Layyah, expresses grief over deaths - Pakistan - Dunya News . 12 December 2023 . dunyanews.tv . 12 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231212060550/https://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/334832-Toxic-sweets-case-CM-Punjab-visits-Layyah-expres . live .

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