BENGALURU: In a tragic incident, an eight-year-old girl died and her parents took ill after their house was fumigated for pest control. The incident occurred in Vasanth Nagar in High Grounds Police Station limits on Monday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Ahane V Nair, a Class 4 student. Her parents are undergoing treatment at a private hospital. Ahane’s father, Vinod, works with a private firm while her mother, Nisha, is a homemaker. The police, who have registered a case of death caused by negligence, have detained the owner of the building for questioning.
Police said the girl’s family, which hails from Kerala, lived in a rented house at Maramma Temple street in Vasanth Nagar for the last 3-4 years. As the houses in the building were infested with cockroaches and bugs, the owner Shivashankar, who lives on the ground floor, had decided to fumigate the house and had asked the tenants to vacate the house.
A relative of the victim, who did not wish to be named, said, “The family had gone to Kerala on Thursday night and the owner got the building fumigated. The family returned on early Monday morning and rested for a while. When they woke up, they were feeling dizzy and had a vomiting sensation.”
Girl’s parents out of danger, chemical samples sent for tests
They had coffee and went back to sleep again. At around 11 am, the girl was found unconscious and her father was also feeling uneasy. They called an ambulance at around 11.30 am and all three were rushed to a private hospital. The girl, who developed respiratory problems, died at the hospital at around 1 pm. The doctors suspect that the death could be due to inhalation of pesticides”.
The girl’s parents are said to be out of danger, the relative added. Following a complaint, the police have started an investigation. “We have collected samples of the chemicals from the house and have sent them for tests. The owner has been detained for questioning. Those who fumigated the house will also be summoned and quizzed. Further action will be initiated based on the findings of the probe,” a police officer said.