4 Children Injured or Killed in Pakistan... Cause: 'Poisoned Snacks for Stray Dogs'

Toxic Substance Found in Traditional Food 'Laddu'... Part of 'Stray Dog Poisoning Campaign' for Rabies Prevention

Karachi city employees capturing stray dogs
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] In Pakistan, an accident occurred in which one child died and three others were in critical condition after eating food taken out of a pouch hanging on a bicycle by the roadside. The food in the pouch was revealed to be poison prepared as part of a campaign to eliminate stray dogs to prevent the spread of rabies in Pakistan.

According to Pakistani media Bol News on the 16th (local time), on the 14th, four children in Karachi, Sindh Province, found a pouch hanging on a bicycle parked by the roadside and shared a snack called "Ladoo" inside it. Ladoo is a traditional South Asian food, a round-shaped snack made of powders such as Bengal gram, nuts, and coconut.

The problem was that the Ladoo the children ate contained poison. The children immediately showed symptoms such as vomiting and difficulty breathing and were transported to the hospital, but one boy died. The remaining three girls are reported to be in critical condition. In addition, one adult woman who received and ate the Ladoo from the children is also undergoing treatment.

A police official explained, "A campaign to poison stray dogs was underway in the area to prevent rabies and other diseases," adding, "Local government employees prepared the snack with poison for extermination, and children playing on the street took it out and ate it."

Murtaza Wahab, Chief Minister of Sindh Province, expressed condolences to the deceased child and ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of death. The police authorities announced that they would investigate the official responsible for careless management of the toxic substance.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 500 people die each year in Pakistan from rabies virus infection. Accordingly, local governments in Pakistan have been controlling the population of stray dogs by feeding them poisoned food or shooting them. According to local animal protection organizations, it is estimated that more than 50,000 stray dogs are slaughtered annually by these methods.

In response to this tragedy, negative public opinion about the stray dog poisoning campaign has spread in the local community. An animal protection group in Karachi expressed condolences and argued, "No kind of violence can be the answer."

Nasim Salauddin, a veterinarian operating an animal hospital in Karachi, also told foreign media, "It is a problem that residents lose their lives to rabies, but killing dogs is equally condemnable. The problem should be solved humanely."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.