Four-year-old child dies after swallowing toy found inside chips packet in Kandhamal

A four-year-old child died after swallowing a plastic toy at Musumahapada under Brahmanigaon police limits in Odisha’s Kandhamal district on Tuesday.

The victim has been identified as Bigil Pradhan.

Pradhan’s parents had reportedly given him a chips packet to eat; however, he swallowed the plastic toy found inside the packet while eating.

The toy got stuck in his throat, leading to severe choking. Family members found the boy unconscious and immediately rushed him to the Daringbadi Community Health Centre in critical condition. Despite urgent medical attention, doctors declared the child dead on arrival, said sources.

So far, no police complaint has been filed in the case. The medical officer of the Daringbadi Community Health Centre, along with the Daringbadi BDO, visited the grief-stricken parents to gather details about the incident.

Meanwhile, an inquiry team has reportedly been constituted to investigate the matter.

Cuttack Sishu Bhawan’s Dr Sunil Agarwal expressed deep sorrow over the child’s death and emphasised the need for a swift response in such emergencies.

 He advised that if a child begins choking, they should be immediately laid on their side to prevent further obstruction.

 Dr Agarwal further urged parents to rush the child without delay to a specialised facility such as AIIMS Bhubaneswar or Cuttack Sishu Bhawan for prompt medical intervention.