PALGHAR: A 15-year-old girl died reportedly of a heart attack some time after she secured third position in a marathon in her school in Talasari area of Maharashtra's Palghar district, an official said on Sunday.
The incident took place on Saturday when the Bharati Academy English School in Velji was celebrating its sports day, the official said.
"Class X student Roshni Goswami, a resident of Umbargaon, stood third in the marathon. Eyewitnesses said she started experiencing breathlessness after completing the race, following which she sat on the ground and then fainted," he informed.
"Teachers tried to administer initial treatment to Roshni. School staff rushed her in a private vehicle to a nearby hospital where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
We suspect she suffered a heart attack," Bharati Academy principal Rakesh Sharma said.
Her mother Sunitaben Goswami said Roshni started the day normally, waking up at her regular time, eating a proper meal and leaving for school with lunch packed in her tiffin box.
"She even touched my feet seeking blessings for her marathon race.
In the afternoon, we got the devastating news of her demise," Sunitaben said.
A Gholwad police station official said an accidental death case has been registered.
"Some police personnel were present at the event. They will be spoken to as part of the probe. We are awaiting the post mortem report to know the exact cause of death," he added.
The incident, however, has evoked sharp reactions from some local education activists, who cited that such "high intensity" sporting events are often held in hot conditions without professional first aid, on-site doctors, or ambulances.
Often students take part in long-distance races without prior medical screening or physical conditioning to check hydration and nutrition levels, they added.