Shivpuri: Three brothers and their cousin died within 10 days after reportedly developing a similar illness following a visit to a waterfall in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri city, prompting the health department to launch an investigation into the deaths.
Three of the deceased were minors. According to officials and family members, all four developed fever followed by stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea before their conditions deteriorated rapidly.
Family links deaths to waterfall visit
According to the family, the four children had visited and bathed at a waterfall near Gora Tila on August 16.
Their health reportedly began deteriorating soon afterwards. The first symptoms included fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain.
Relatives and local residents have raised concerns that contaminated water at the waterfall could have been responsible for the illness. However, health officials have said that the exact cause of death has not yet been established.
The four deaths occurred between August 21 and August 31.
14-year-old dies first
Three of the victims were sons of Tanveer Ahmed, a resident of the Physical Police Station area of Shivpuri city.
According to family members, Ahmed’s 14-year-old son Tahir was the first to fall ill. He reportedly developed fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain on August 18.
As his condition worsened, he was admitted to a hospital. Despite treatment, he died two days later.
Family members said Tahir’s platelet count had dropped rapidly during treatment, raising further concerns about the nature of the illness.
Cousin dies after being shifted to Gwalior
The family had reportedly not recovered from Tahir’s death when Ayaz, the 19-year-old son of Ahmed’s sister, fell ill.
Ayaz was initially admitted to Shivpuri District Hospital. As his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Gwalior for further treatment.
According to his relatives, Ayaz died on August 23 while undergoing treatment. His medical tests reportedly indicated an infection.
Two more brothers succumb
Subsequently, Ahmed’s two younger sons, Taruf, 9, and Tasif, 11, developed fever and their health deteriorated.
The children were taken to hospital for treatment, but their condition reportedly failed to improve.
Taruf died on the morning of August 31. His elder brother Tasif died later the same evening.
The deaths of the three brothers and their cousin within such a short period have left the family and local residents deeply concerned.
Health department launches probe
Following the deaths, a team from the health department visited the affected family on Tuesday evening and gathered information about the illnesses and treatment received by the victims.
District Chief Medical Officer Dr Sanjay Rishishwar also visited the family.
He said preliminary investigations indicated that the four deaths could be linked to an infection, but a definitive conclusion could only be reached after laboratory tests.
“The children’s platelet counts dropped rapidly. In one child’s case, the condition became so severe that multiple organs failed. Samples have been taken from all family members. Only after the test results are received will a clear conclusion be drawn regarding the actual cause of death,” he said.
Cause of deaths remains unclear
Officials said autopsies have not yet been conducted, and the exact cause of death remains unknown.
Samples have been collected from family members and will be examined to determine whether they have any infection or other illness that could provide clues about the deaths.
The health department is also examining the medical records and treatment details of the deceased children.
Officials said the investigation will consider the children’s symptoms, medical history and test reports before arriving at a conclusion.
Locals demand thorough investigation
Relatives and local residents have expressed concern over four members of the same family dying within just 10 days.
They have called for a detailed investigation by the administration and health department, particularly in view of the family’s claim that the children had bathed at the waterfall shortly before falling ill.
While contamination of the water has been suspected by relatives and locals, authorities have not confirmed any link between the waterfall and the deaths.
Health officials are awaiting laboratory results before determining the actual cause.
The incident has raised concerns among residents about possible health risks in and around local water bodies, while authorities continue efforts to establish what caused the sudden and severe illness affecting the family members.