QUETTA: The dead bodies of four girls, aged between two and 10, were recovered Thursday from a water tank in the Faizabad area adjacent to Quetta's airport road, said police officials.

The girls' father, Mehmood Khan, alleged his daughters were initially poisoned by their mother and then thrown into a water tank.

"My wife is mentally ill. My family has been destroyed," said Khan.

Officials claim the mother also attempted suicide by trying to jump in the water tank.

The dead bodies of the girls were shifted to Quetta Civil Hospital for autopsy, where the mother was also admitted in an unconscious state.

Police say an investigation is ongoing, but the father is not a suspect.