Three Children Fall Ill After Mistaking Insecticide for Salt in Balasore
Till the last reports came in, one of the children remained in critical condition and was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack
Bhubaneswar: Three children from Shalabani village under Mahisapatta panchayat in Nilagiri block of Balasore district were hospitalised on Thursday after accidentally consuming Thimet, a highly toxic agricultural insecticide, mistaking it for salt while playing.
According to local sources, the children Yuvraj Singh (8), son of Babula Singh; Indurekha Singh (5), daughter of Akshay Singh; and Ghanashyam Singh (4), son of Ramesh Singh were playing a traditional mud-kitchen game using coconut shells on Thursday afternoon.
While preparing make-believe meals, they reportedly collected soil in the shells to mimic cooking. During the game, one of the children allegedly retrieved a packet of Thimet from a house, believing it to be salt. The chemical was mixed with chopped onions and consumed unknowingly.
By evening, all three developed symptoms of poisoning, including nausea, severe discomfort and dizziness. Alarmed family members rushed them to the Nilagiri Sub-Divisional Hospital. As their condition worsened, they were shifted to Remuna Medical College and Hospital in Balasore for advanced treatment.
Till the last reports came in, one of the children remained in critical condition and was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
The incident has raised concern among villagers and health officials, underscoring the dangers of improperly storing hazardous farm chemicals within the reach of children.