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4 children of family die within 10 days after waterfall visit in MP's Shivpuri; probe on
4 children of family die within 10 days after waterfall visit in MP's Shivpuri; probe on
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Shivpuri , Three brothers and their cousin died within 10 days from an unknown illness after visiting a waterfall in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri city, prompting the health department to launch a probe into the deaths, officials said on Wednesday.
The health of the victims, three of whom were minors, deteriorated similarly. They first developed fever, followed by stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, and their condition rapidly worsened, an official said.
The family said the four children bathed at a waterfall near Gora Tila on August 16, after which their health deteriorated, and all died between August 21 and 31. Relatives and locals suspect the water might have been contaminated.
A health department team met with the affected family members on Tuesday to gather information, an official said.
The autopsies have not yet been conducted, and the cause of death remains unclear, he said.
District Chief Medical Officer Dr Sanjay Rishishwar said he visited the family, and preliminary investigations suggested that all four died due to an infection.
"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.
Three of the victims were sons of Tanveer Ahmed, a resident of the Physical Police Station area of the city.
According to family members, Ahmed's 14-year-old son, Tahir, first fell ill on August 18. He suffered from fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach pain.
When his condition worsened, he was hospitalised, but died two days later. During treatment, his platelet count had dropped rapidly, they said.
The family hadn't yet recovered from the shock when Ayaz, the 19-year-old son of Ahmed's sister, fell ill. He was initially admitted to Shivpuri District Hospital and later taken to Gwalior when his condition worsened, but he died on August 23 during treatment, they said.
According to family members, Ayaz's test revealed an infection.
Subsequently, Ahmed's two younger sons, Taruf and Tasif , developed a fever and their health deteriorated. They were taken to a hospital, but there was no improvement. Taruf died on the morning of August 31, while his older brother succumbed the same evening.
Their relatives and locals said the deaths of four children from the same family in such a short period were unusual and demanded a thorough investigation into the matter from the administration and the health department.
A team from the health department went to the victims' house on Tuesday evening and collected samples from their family members, an official said.
The department is now investigating the cause of death based on the children's medical and treatment records and test reports from other family members, he added.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
