GUJRANWALA — A family gathering turned into a medical emergency Tuesday morning when 16 people were rushed to the Civil Hospital after drinking tea that family members suspect was tainted.
The victims, including several women and children, began vomiting and experiencing severe abdominal pain shortly after finishing their breakfast. Neighbors helped transport the group to the emergency ward, where doctors initially treated them for suspected food poisoning.
“They were in a state of panic when they arrived,” said Dr. Arshad Mehmood, the attending physician at the hospital. “We stabilized their vitals, but we’re waiting on toxicology reports to confirm exactly what caused such an immediate reaction.”
Police arrived at the residence hours later, cordoning off the kitchen and collecting samples of the tea leaves, milk, and sugar used in the morning brew. Investigators are currently looking into whether a foreign substance was accidentally introduced during the preparation or if the ingredients themselves were contaminated.
While the family remains under medical observation, hospital officials confirmed that all 16 are now in stable condition. None are considered to be in critical danger, though they will remain in the ward for at least another 24 hours for monitoring.
For the local community, the incident has sparked immediate alarm, with many questioning the safety of the local milk supply. Investigators aren’t ruling out foul play yet, but they’ve cautioned against jumping to conclusions until the lab results return from Lahore later this week.
“We’ve taken everything into evidence,” said a police spokesperson. “Until the lab tells us what was in that pot, we’re treating this as a suspicious health hazard.”
