Forensic medicine and chemical laboratory reports submitted to the public prosecution regarding the death of a father and his six children in Minya revealed that the cause of death was poisoning by a highly toxic pesticide called “Chlorfenapyr,” which leads to disruption of the body’s thermal regulation and failure of vital organs until they stop functioning. Its traces were found in samples taken from the victims’ bodies.

The public prosecution ordered the preventive detention of the accused, the father’s wife, for four days.

In a statement, the prosecution said that to uncover the circumstances of the incident, a team accompanied by toxicology experts from the forensic medicine department inspected the residence of the father and his children at the first wife’s house, as well as the second wife’s house. The inspection and examination of samples taken from food containers and bread remnants revealed the presence of the toxic pesticide. Its traces were also found in cooking and bread-making equipment at the second wife’s house.

Following this, the prosecution requested police investigations, which revealed that the second wife committed the crime. Upon interrogation, the accused admitted to preparing some loaves of bread and placing a quantity of the pesticide inside some of them, then sending them to the first wife’s house where the father and children lived. They sequentially suffered symptoms of fatigue until death occurred.

She denied intending to kill them deliberately but confessed to mixing the pesticide with the bread and sending it to harm the first wife. Accordingly, the prosecution ordered her preventive detention for four days, and investigations are ongoing.

Timeline of events:
1- In July, two children from Dalga village in Minya suffered severe fatigue, high fever, and continuous vomiting, deteriorated, and died.
2- Hours later, two other siblings suffered fatigue and also died.
3- Questions arose about the mysterious case, especially after the father and two other children suffered fatigue and died in hospital days later.
4- Many rumors circulated about a mysterious disease or toxic infection spreading among them.
5- On July 19, the Ministry of Health formed a committee from the Preventive Medicine sector to conduct field investigations fearing an infectious disease outbreak.
6- Results showed no infectious diseases, including viral or bacterial meningitis, and environmental tests confirmed water samples met standards.
7- On July 22, the bodies of the first two deceased children were exhumed for sample testing.
8- On July 26, the prosecution announced it was investigating after forensic reports revealed pesticide residues in the children’s samples and ordered rapid police investigations.
9- Tightening the investigation and reviewing cameras revealed the crime was committed by the father’s second wife.