MYSURU: What began as an attempt by parents to pacify their crying child with a packet of snacks ended in a tragedy with a five-year-old boy allegedly dying after choking on a small plastic toy ball found inside the packet in Hunsur, Mysuru district in Karnataka on Saturday.
The deceased child, Mukund Mayur, was the only son of farmers Santosh and Aishwarya, residents of Gowripura village. He was the grandson of former gram panchayat vice-president Gouramma.
On Saturday afternoon, when Mukund started crying at home, his parents got him a packet of snacks from a nearby shop. Within minutes of eating the snack, Mukund started facing breathing issues. Even as the scared parents and relatives were rushing him to a hospital, the child died on the way.
Doctors declared him brought dead and reportedly told the family that a small plastic toy ball inside the snack packet had suffocated the child to death. The incident raises concerns over packaged snacks containing small promotional toys that could choke young children. The Hunsur Rural police registered a case and are investigating the incident.