Three Indian kids die of food poisoning in Saudi Arabia

Dubai, Oct 23 (UNI) Three Indian children died of suspected food poisoning in the Red Sea coastal city of Al Qunfuda in Saudi Arabia.

Six-year-old Anas was the first to pass away on Saturday morning while his sister Mariam (3) died the same night and Najla (9) in the wee hours of Sunday.

However, father of the three and an engineer with the Saudi Electrical Contracting Company, Muhammad Khalid Iqbal and his wife Uzma survived.

The parents and children were taken to Qunfuda General Hospital in the early hours of Saturday with symptoms of food poisoning.

A team of health experts from the hospital who inspected the victims' home said some insecticide sprayed in the house next door may have contaminated the food and the house was also unhygienic with lack of proper ventilation.

''Samples of the food that was consumed on Friday night by the family, including the parents, were sent to laboratories in Jeddah and Makkah to determine if the food was contaminated,'' a Saudi daily quoted a health official at Qunfuda as saying.

Meanwhile, Iqbal affirmed that the food was homecooked.

The family hails from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Iqbal has been the resident in Qunfuda for the last 12 years while his wife joined him a decade ago.

UNI