Pakistan confirms two deaths from coronavirus

ISLAMABAD/PESHAWAR: A second coronavirus patient has died, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Minister Taimur Khan Jhagra confirmed late Wednesday.

"Sadly, a second patient in LRH Peshawar, a 36 yr old, from Hangu, has also passed away, from the Corona Virus," Jhagra wrote, less than an hour after Pakistan reported its first coronavirus death.

Earlier, the federal health minister confirmed on Twitter, shortly after his KP counterpart, Jhagra, broke the news. "With deep regret I confirm the death of first Pakistani due to #coronavirus," Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza said in a tweet.

"A 50 yr old male from Mardan recently returned from Umra, developed fever, cough & breathing difficulty and tested +ve for corona virus. Contacts are being screened," he added, sharing condolences.

The government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had earlier today reported its first death from the novel coronavirus, according to Jhagra who shared the news on his Twitter account.

"Sad to report one patient who passed away in Mardan," he wrote.

Earlier today, the government of Gilgit-Baltistan retracted its statement regarding a patient dying in the region from the coronavirus, saying the provincial spokesperson had not confirmed the news before breaking it.

Related: GB govt withdraws statement on Pakistan's first coronavirus death

Multiple news channels had reported about Pakistan's first coronavirus patient dying after GB government spokesperson Faizullah Faraq confirmed that a 90-year-old man passed away from the infection.

Faraq had said it seemed to be a case of secondary transmission of the virus as the patient did not have any travel history. However, the GB government's media coordinator, Rasheed Arshad, explained that the provincial spokesperson broke the news without verifying it.

He said the patient was suffering from pneumonia and kidney complications.