5 Children Die After Eating Sun Bread in Egypt

In a tragic scene that shook the Egyptian public opinion, five siblings died in Minya Governorate after suffering a sudden health crisis and a mysterious illness that has not been revealed yet. Meanwhile, their sixth sibling is hospitalized under close medical observation, amidst cautious anticipation and intensive investigations.

Ali Mohamed, the victims' uncle, recounted the details of the final moments in the lives of his brother's children, indicating that the last family gathering was around the dining table, where everyone consumed 'sun bread,' a traditional bread known in Upper Egypt.

Hours after that meal, symptoms began to appear successively on the children: nausea, fever, severe sweating, followed by a rapid deterioration of their health condition leading to the death of the first, then the second, third, and fourth child, until the fifth child, Rahma, succumbed, while the sixth child remains under observation in the hospital.

The shock did not stop there, as the children's father suffered a critical psychological condition and was rushed to the hospital after suspected stroke due to the tragedy that befell his family.

The Egyptian Ministry of Health swiftly issued a clarifying statement confirming that they are closely monitoring the case. Extensive field and laboratory investigations have been conducted, covering hospitals, health units, patient records, blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis, in addition to testing the water in the family's home.

The statement affirmed the absence of any evidence of infectious or epidemic diseases, completely denying rumors of meningitis infections, describing these allegations as baseless rumors.

The ministry also explained that investigations are ongoing in cooperation with specialized authorities, looking into non-medical reasons that may be behind the mysterious deaths, while reassuring the area residents that the health situation is stable and not a cause for concern.

Authorities received a report of four siblings arriving at Deir Mawas Central Hospital suffering from severe symptoms including headache, fever, neck stiffness, irritability, and vomiting, and they quickly succumbed, followed by their fifth sibling days later, amid continued investigations to determine the real cause behind this sudden health disaster.