BALASORE: Three children fell critically ill after consuming pesticide mistaking it for salt in Nilagiri area of Balasore district on Thursday.
The victims are Yuvraj Singh (8), Ghanashyam Singh (4), and Indurekha Singh (5), all of Salabani village under Nilagiri block. The incident took place in the afternoon.
Sources said while playing in the village orchard, the children pretended to cook using soil in small pots, preparing mock dishes like rice, dal and vegetables. One of the children had reportedly brought an onion and Thimet, an insecticide, believing it to be salt. Later, the kids threw away the mock dishes made of soil but consumed the onion with the pesticide.
Soon after returning home, the children complained of uneasiness and vomiting with a strong chemical smell in their mouths. Realising that they had consumed pesticide, their family members rushed them to the local hospital.
The kids were first admitted to Nilagiri sub-divisional hospital. As Yuvraj’s condition deteriorated, he was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. The other two children remain under treatment at the sub-divisional hospital and their condition is reportedly stable.
Sources said the kid took the pesticide from his home where it was stocked for application on the crops ahead of the paddy harvesting season.
