1 000s ill from polluted water
2006-05-23 16:19
Lahore - At least seven people have died and thousands of others have fallen ill after drinking contaminated water in an industrial city in eastern Pakistan, officials said on Tuesday.
An outbreak of gastroenteritis began May 14 in Faisalabad, a city famous for its textile mills.
The last two fatalities happened on Sunday, said Rana Imran, district health officer for Faisalabad.
About 4 000 people from a working class neighbourhood were treated for diarrhoea, stomach cramps and vomiting, and 200 people are still hospitalised, he said.
"The medical history of the patients has proved that the outbreak was an outcome of taking contaminated water," Imran said.
Authorities have started replacing old pipes that deliver water to the neighbourhood because it is suspected that sewage water from nearby lines might have seeped into them.
Clean water is currently being trucked in.
Nearly half of Pakistan's 160 million people lack access to proper sanitation, and 40% of hospital beds are occupied by victims of waterborne diseases, according to a recent government study.
- AP