UP: 4 children die after eating toffees found on roadside, CM orders probe

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath took serious cognizance of the children’s death and directed the officials concerned to provide all necessary help to the victims’ families as well as to investigate the matter.

LUCKNOW: Four children, aged between 3 and 7 years, including three siblings, died allegedly after consuming toffees found lying on a road side in east Uttar Pradesh’s Kushi Nagar district on Wednesday morning, said senior police officials.

The children were playing outside their house when they found some toffees and money lying on the roadside.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath took serious cognizance of the incident and directed the officials concerned to provide all necessary help to the victims’ families as well as to investigate the matter.

Deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, Gorakhpur, J Ravinder Goud confirmed the deaths of four children. He said the deceased children are of Mushar tribe and were playing outside their house in Sisar Gurmiya village under Kasya police station limits when they found some toffees and money lying on the roadside. He said the doctors initially suspect food poisoning as reason behind the deaths but further investigation is under way to ascertain the exact cause behind the incident.

He said conditions of the children deteriorated after consuming toffees and were rushed to a hospital where they died during treatment.

Another senior police official said the deceased children were identified as Kumari Manjan, 7, her younger sister Kumari Sweety, 5, and brother Samar, 3, and Aarush, 6, living in their neighborhood.