A four-year-old boy died in Kandhamal, Odisha. The cause of death was chips. A toy was found inside the packet. The four-year-old boy swallowed the toy, which became lodged in his throat. He suffocated to death.

Berhampur: Shocking news has come from Kandhamal district of Odisha. Here in Musimaha village, a four-year-old child died of suffocation after swallowing a small toy from a chips packet. The deceased has been identified as Bigil Pradhan, son of farmer Ranjit Pradhan (40). The family had given chips to the child and after that did not pay attention to him. The child put the chip toy in his mouth and it got stuck in his throat.

Family members said that Bigil had returned from Anganwadi center on Tuesday. He insisted on eating chips. His father took him to the market and gave him chips worth Rs. 10. There was a plastic toy in the packet.

The toy was found in the chips

While the child was eating chips, he caught hold of the toy. He put it in his mouth and began chewing. The toy got stuck in his throat, causing him to choke. When his family members noticed, they tried frantically to remove the toy, but all their efforts were futile. Bigil suddenly fainted. His parents took him to the Daringbadi Community Health Center, where doctors declared him dead.

What did the doctor say

Jakesh Samantara, medical officer in charge at the CHC, said the toy had gotten stuck in the child's windpipe, causing breathing difficulties. He said the child likely thought the toy was edible and tried to swallow it. Unfortunately, it blocked his windpipe, causing suffocation. He said children often mistake these toys for edible items. Food companies should stop packaging such items.

No postmortem was conducted

A postmortem was not conducted due to the parents' refusal, but circumstantial evidence indicated the cause of death was suffocation. Police said no FIR has been filed in the case. Similar incidents were reported in Andhra Pradesh's Vizianagaram (October 2020) and West Godavari (November 2017) districts, where two children died after swallowing toys in snack packets.

Doctors' advice

Ganjam's Chief District Medical and Public Health Officer (CDM&PHO), SK Nayak, said this is dangerous not only for children but also for adults. He added that if such a foreign object gets stuck in the windpipe or esophagus, it can cause suffocation and death. Private physician Dr. Subhash Sahu urged authorities to take action. He said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) should strictly monitor packaged snacks and ban toys inside packages. Strict action should be taken against companies that do this.

 PC:NBT