ISLAMABAD: Over 250 children have died of pneumonia in Punjab since the beginning of this year, the provincial health department said in a statement on Sunday.
On Sunday, 18 children became the latest victims of the disease in the province, said the statement.
Around 870 cases have been reported in the province in the last 24 hours, the statement said, adding that about 177 patients were diagnosed in the provincial capital Lahore.
The health department attributed the rapid increase in cases and deaths to environmental pollution caused by smog during the ongoing winter season.
The health authorities said that they are working to address the surge in pneumonia cases.