Mass Hospitalization After Wedding Feast in Parachinar

At least 210 individuals were admitted to hospitals following a wedding reception in Parachinar, the primary city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Kurram district. Health authorities reported on Friday that children were the most severely affected by what appears to be a major health incident.

Dr. Qaiser Abbas, the District Health Officer (DHO), has indicated that the outbreak of gastroenteritis was likely caused by food contamination at the event.

Hundreds of people attended the wedding, and initially, approximately 200 guests became sick after consuming the celebratory meal. This number subsequently increased to 310. The affected individuals were immediately transported to medical facilities, provided with care, and the majority were later released.

Currently, an investigation is in progress, and the assistant commissioner is overseeing the investigation’s advancement.

The region has previously suffered from intense armed clashes last year, resulting in a humanitarian crisis marked by accounts of famine, a shortage of essential medicines, and a scarcity of oxygen resulting from the closure of the main highway that connects Parachinar to Peshawar.

Following governmental efforts to reduce tensions within the Kurram District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, an eight-month truce was brokered between the conflicting factions towards the close of March.

The Thall-Parachinar Road remains impassable following a lethal assault on a convoy in Lower Kurram’s Bagan region, leading to numerous fatalities. Essential supplies, including food and medications, have since been delivered to the cut-off area by convoys.

In the interim, tribal leaders have appealed to the government to reopen the route, citing the significant hardships faced by the populace, and to implement immediate measures to guarantee secure and unrestricted transit within the area.

Local business owners also conducted a general strike on Tuesday to protest the prolonged closure of this crucial transportation link for over half a year.