At least 23 people have died from eating contaminated(污染) sweets(糖果) in central Pakistan, police say.

The deaths began last week after a man in Punjab province bought the treats(招待) to celebrate the birth of his son.

He and 11 other relatives(亲属) are among the dead - in all 77 people were affected. Five remain in a serious condition.

Police have arrested two owners of a local sweetshop and one of their employees while the source of the contamination(污染) is investigated.

Officials suspect pesticide(农药) from a store next to the shop may accidentally(不小心) have found its way into the laddoos - ball-shaped sweets popular at special occasions(时刻)

On 20 April, Mr Hussain bought 4.5kg of laddoos to celebrate. Five people died immediately, Mr Faiz said.

By the weekend many more lives had been claimed(夺走). Mr Hussain, one of his sisters, all of his seven brothers, two of his nieces(侄女) and a nephew(侄子) are among the dead.

Only five people now remain seriously ill in Nishtar hospital in Multan - most of the others who were being treated have recovered.

Police have charged the sweet shop owners under food control and poisonous substances laws.

"There was a pesticide shop close by which was being renovated(装饰), and the owner had left his pesticides at the bakery(面包店) for safe keeping," senior police official Rameez Bukhari told AFP news agency.

巴基斯坦警方称在巴中部地区至少有23人因食用受到污染的糖果而丧生。

上周，吃过旁遮普省的一位父亲给钱庆祝其儿子生日买的糖果后就发现有人丧命。

据统计77人中毒，孩子的父亲和其亲属在内有11人因此而死亡，目前仍有五人处于危重情况下。警方已经逮捕了当地糖果店的两名店主其中一名店主的雇员涉嫌污染源而接受调查。

警方认为：“糖果店隔壁的农药可能是在某一时刻碰巧不小心情况下污染了laddoos - ball-shaped（一种当地糖果名）

费兹先生说：“在4月20日，侯赛因先生买了4.5公斤laddoos来庆祝生日，五人当场死亡”

接下来的周末陆续有人离去，侯赛因先生、他的一个胞姐，他家族的7兄弟，两名侄女一名侄子都相继不治。

目前只有五人还在木尔坦的Nishtar医院病情危重-另外参与过庆祝的人都已康复。

警方以食品监督和剧毒物质管制法逮捕了糖果店的老板。高级警官Rameez Bukhari告诉法新社记者：“糖果店隔壁是家农药店目前正在装修，农药店老板为安全起见，把农药放在糖果店内。”