5 UK expats found unconscious in Sylhet; 2 die

Five members of a UK expatriate family have been found unconscious at a house in Sylhet’s Osmani Nagar while two of them died later. 

The deceased are Rafiqul Islam, 50, and his 16-year-old son Mahikul Islam.

Rafiqul Islam’s wife Hosne Ara Begum, 45, his son Sadiqul Islam, 25 and daughter Samira Islam, 20, are undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit (ICU) of Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital (SOMCH).

Sylhet District Superintendent of Police Farid Uddin confirmed the news. 

He said the five family members were rescued in an unconscious state from a house around 11:30 am on Tuesday after receiving a call from the National Emergency Service 999. Later, two of them died around 2pm while the rest are in critical condition.

He further said they might have died due to food poisoning. “An investigation is on in this regard.”

A team of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has also reached the spot to collect evidence.

According to the locals, the family came to the country from the United Kingdom on July 12.

After staying in Dhaka for six days, they rented the house in Tajpur of the upazila on July 18.