PARACHINAR: At least 100 people, including several children, were hospitalised following a suspected food poisoning incident at a wedding feast in Parachinar, Kurram district, on Friday. Health officials confirmed the incident, with many guests falling ill shortly after consuming the meal at the wedding, which had over 200 attendees.
District Health Officer Dr Qaiser Abbas stated that the victims, mostly children, received treatment at local hospitals and were later discharged. Authorities suspect that food contamination, leading to gastroenteritis, was the cause of the outbreak, and an investigation is ongoing under the supervision of the assistant commissioner.
This incident adds to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Kurram, exacerbated by the closure of the Thall-Parachinar Road following a deadly attack on a convoy last year. The attack, which claimed dozens of lives, has left the region isolated, limiting access to essential services such as food, medicine, and oxygen supplies. Relief goods are being delivered by special convoys under strict security measures.
Efforts to restore peace have included an eight-month truce, but residents and tribal elders continue to call for the reopening of the road. Traders in the region recently held a shutter-down strike to protest the ongoing road closure, which has now lasted for seven months. They are demanding government action to ensure safe and free access to vital supplies.
