Tragic mix-up: Three children fall ill after consuming insecticide in Balasore

Three children from Shalabani village under Mahisapatta panchayat in Nilagiri block of Balasore district were hospitalised after accidentally consuming Thimet, a highly toxic agricultural insecticide, mistaking it for salt while playing on Thursday.

According to local sources, the children identified as Yuvraj Singh (8), son of Babula Singh; Indurekha Singh (5), daughter of Akshay Singh; and Ghanashyam Singh (4), son of Ramesh Singh, were engaged in the traditional mud-kitchen game using coconut shells on Thursday afternoon. 

While preparing make-believe meals, they placed soil in coconut shells and attempted to imitate real cooking. During the process, one of the children reportedly fetched Thimet from a house, assuming it was salt used in cooking. They mixed the chemical with chopped onions and consumed it unknowingly.

By evening, the children began showing symptoms of poisoning, including nausea, severe discomfort, and dizziness. Alarmed by their condition, family members rushed them to the Nilagiri Sub-Divisional Hospital for immediate medical attention. As their condition turned critical, all three were later shifted to Remuna Medical College in Balasore for advanced treatment.

Till the last report came, of the three children, the condition of one reportedly remains critical, and he has been shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. 

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The incident has triggered concern among villagers, highlighting the risks of storing hazardous chemicals within easy reach of children.