Four Afghans killed after drinking mouse poison

Authorities in northern Afghanistan raided shops selling mouse poison after four people died, having apparently mistaken it for a type of cold medicine, a health official said today.

Thirteen other people have been sickened by the poison over the past two months in Baghlan province.

The most recent case was reported on Monday, when a 24-year-old man died, said Khalil Narmgo, the provincial health director.

Authorities yesterday temporarily closed down seven shops and confiscated all the mouse poison, which came in small tablets that people mixed with water and drank, thinking it was a common cold medicine, Narmgo said.

He said, however, it was possible some people knew the tablets were actually poison and were attempting to commit suicide.

“We announced on TV that all the shops who are still selling this animal poison need to stop,” Narmgo said.