A 15-year-old girl died in the Malihabad area of Lucknow on Friday morning after she allegedly consumed rat poison, reportedly mistaking it for a painkiller.
The girl, a Class 7 student, was taken to a nearby private hospital after her condition deteriorated. Her father is a farmer.
Family discovers medicine mix-up
According to the family, doctors treating the girl asked what medicine she had taken after her condition became serious.
The family then checked the medicine container and reportedly realised that the girl had accidentally consumed rat poison instead of a painkiller. The information was immediately conveyed to the doctors.
As her condition remained critical, she was referred to the Community Health Centre in Malihabad for further treatment.
However, doctors at the health centre declared her dead.
Police send body for postmortem
Following the incident, police sent the girl’s body for postmortem examination.
Further investigation is underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine how the rat poison came to be mistaken for medicine.
The incident has left the girl’s family devastated and highlights the importance of keeping potentially harmful substances clearly separated from medicines and securely out of children’s reach.