Bengaluru: 5-yo child dies, parents hospitalized due to suspected food poisoning

Team Udayavani, Oct 8, 2024, 10:45 AM IST

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Bengaluru: A five-year-old boy has tragically died, and his parents are in critical condition after allegedly consuming spoiled food in K.P. Agrahara police station limits.

The deceased child has been identified as Dheeraj (5), a resident of Bhuvaneshwarinagar. His father, Balaraj, and mother, Nagalakshmi, have been hospitalized and are currently receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of a city hospital, police sources confirmed.

Balaraj, who works as a Swiggy delivery partner, and Nagalakshmi, a homemaker, live with their two children in a rented house. On Sunday night, the couple, along with their son, had dinner and went to bed. Early Monday morning, all three complained of severe stomach pain and fell seriously ill.

Hearing their cries, neighbors rushed them to KIMS hospital. Unfortunately, doctors confirmed that Dheeraj had passed away en route to the hospital. Both Balaraj and Nagalakshmi remain unconscious and are under critical care due to severe food poisoning. Further details about the incident are yet to be determined.

Spoiled Food Consumed? 

Initial reports suggest that the family had consumed food stored in the refrigerator. The couple had prepared food during Pitru Paksha rituals, which was stored and later consumed on Sunday night. Shortly after, all three family members fell ill.

It is also said that Balaraj, due to his job in food delivery, had brought home a cake from an online order that had been canceled by a customer. The cake was stored in the refrigerator and consumed along with dinner on Sunday. However, the exact cause of the food poisoning remains unclear, pending further investigation.

Food Samples Sent for Testing

Doctors have confirmed that the family was affected by food poisoning, and five-year-old Dheeraj’s death has been confirmed in the hospital’s MLC report. Samples of the food consumed by the family have been collected and sent to the forensic lab for analysis. Police are awaiting the results to establish the cause of the poisoning.

A case has been registered at K.P. Agrahara Police Station, and the police are investigating whether the spoiled food was from home or purchased from outside. Further updates are awaited based on the forensic report.