SARGODHA: Tragedy struck a family in Sargodha on Monday as six children, including four sisters, died of suffocation after becoming trapped inside a wheat storage drum, according to Rescue 1122 officials.
The incident occurred in Chak No. 12, Jinnah Colony, where the children reportedly entered the large drum after the family had cleaned it earlier in the day. The children were playing and lay down inside the enclosed space, where they became stuck and eventually suffocated.
The deceased were identified as Saima, Amna, Sawera, Dua Fatima, Sonia, and Maryam. Authorities said the children likely underestimated the risk and could not get out once inside.
Rescue 1122 reached the scene after being alerted by local residents, but the children had already died by the time help arrived.
This is the third such incident reported in recent months. Just a day earlier, two siblings died in Chak 60/5-L, Burjwala, after accidentally getting locked inside an iron drum while playing hide-and-seek.
In January, five children from the same family, including four siblings and a cousin, lost their lives due to suffocation caused by coal smoke used for heating during winter.
Authorities have urged families to take extra precautions and ensure that storage containers and enclosed spaces are secured to prevent such preventable tragedies.
