Maharashtra: 4-Year-Old Girl Dies, 7 Children Ill After Eating Castor

A four-year-old girl died and seven other children are hospitalised in Maharashtra's Nandurbar district after consuming castor seeds while their parents were away. One child remains in critical condition and is receiving specialized care.

Fatal Incident in Maharashtra

A four-year-old girl died and seven other children fell ill after allegedly consuming castor seeds in Modalgaon village of Dhadgaon taluka in Maharashtra's Nandurbar district. The children were rushed to Dhadgaon Rural Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. One of the hospitalised children is being referred to another hospital for specialised medical care.

Dr Sandeep Valvi, Medical Officer at Dhadgaon Rural Hospital, said that seven to eight children from the village were brought to the hospital after allegedly consuming castor seeds while their parents were away for work. "Today, seven to eight children from Modalgaon were brought to us. They had consumed castor seeds. The incident occurred while the children's parents were away in Pandharpur for work, having left the children in the care of their grandmother," he said.

Investigation and Medical Response

According to Valvi, the children's grandmother had gone out to tend to the cattle when the incident occurred. Upon returning home, the family members found the children vomiting, with some of them lying in a distressed condition beneath a castor plant. Following this, the family members immediately rushed the children to Dhadgaon Rural Hospital for medical attention.

"At the time of the incident, the grandmother was out tending to the cattle. Upon returning home, they found all the children vomiting, and some were lying in a distressed, poisoned state beneath a castor plant. As soon as the family members learned of the situation, they immediately brought all the children to the Rural Hospital," he said.

Valvi further said that a four-year-old child was brought to the hospital dead, while the other children were found to be suffering from varying degrees of dehydration, ranging from mild to severe.

"Among the children was a four-year-old girl named Nirmala Odhi; she was brought to the hospital already dead. The other children were found to be suffering from varying degrees of dehydration—ranging from mild to severe," he added.

Following their admission, the children were immediately administered the necessary medical treatment, including intravenous (IV) fluids, Valvi said. Meanwhile, five-year-old Manoj Vadil was found to be in a concerning condition and is being referred to another hospital for further specialised treatment. The condition of the remaining six children is currently stable, and they continue to receive medical care at Dhadgaon Rural Hospital

"One child, five-year-old Manoj Vadil, is in a somewhat concerning condition; he is being referred to another hospital for further specialised care. The condition of all the other children is currently stable. They are receiving the necessary medical treatment here at the Rural Hospital," he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)