OKARA, April 25: Seven children reportedly died of measles in the last one week in Chak 39-D in Depalpur tehsil.

At least five children are under treatment at DHQ Hospital.

The children who succumbed to the disease are Umair and Zubair, sons of Wali Muhammad; Ghulam Mustafa and Safia, children of Muhammad Asghar; Rukhsana, daughter of Abdur Rehman; Irfan, son of Muhammad Abbas and Zeb, son of Iqbal.

Reports said five children -- Sonia and Amna, daughters of Wali Muhammad; Bushra, daughter of Muhammad Ayub; Faryad, son of Riaz and Rabia, daughter of Muhammad Asghar, were admitted to DHQ Hospital.

EDO (Health) Dr Saeedullah Khan claimed that measles was not the cause of the death of seven children. He said villagers had never contacted any hospital or doctor in the district with the complaint of measles.

However, the EDO said he was present in the ‘affected village’ to trace further cases of measles. Dr Khan said he had shifted nine children to DHQ Hospital on suspicion of having measles.

He said the district health department had made arrangements for a house-to-house check of children from six months to 10 years of age.

LAHORE: A baby died of measles while 152 more cases of the disease were reported in the provincial capital on Thursday.

Reports said eight-month-old Ali Raza succumbed to measles at Mayo Hospital.