Ujjain, April 16 (IANS) In a deeply shocking and preventable incident, toxic fumes from pesticides applied to stored wheat claimed the lives of two young children in Ujjain’s Triveni Hills area on Indore Road, while leaving another girl in critical condition. ​

The tragedy has devastated the family and highlighted the hidden dangers of using chemical pesticides in poorly ventilated household spaces.​

The victims were grandchildren visiting their maternal grandparents’ home. Pooja, daughter of brick kiln owner Lalchand Prajapati, had come from Shajapur with her five-year-old daughter, Jenisha, and her one-and-a-half-month-old infant, Trisha. ​

Her sister Reena had arrived for the summer holidays with her three-and-a-half-month-old son, Rehan, and her four-year-old daughter, Annu (also called Anika). Also sleeping in the same back room was their brother Nitesh’s three-year-old daughter, Yeshu. ​

The children’s mothers were present in the room.​

Around four quintals of wheat, treated with pesticides to prevent spoilage, were stored in the same closed room with inadequate ventilation. On Monday night, the toxic fumes silently accumulated and spread while the children slept, police officials said.​

On Tuesday morning, around 9:00 am, the family noticed the children’s deteriorating condition. Foam began forming at the mouth of infant Trisha. The panicked family rushed all five children to a private hospital. Despite treatment, Trisha succumbed around 4:00 pm on Tuesday. ​

Reena’s four-year-old daughter, Anika, and she passed away on Wednesday morning.​

Five-year-old Jenisha has been referred to a hospital in Indore, where her condition remains critical. The other two children, three-and-a-half-month-old Rehan and three-year-old Yeshu, are undergoing treatment in Ujjain, with their conditions under constant medical monitoring.​

Preliminary investigations indicate the generation of toxic gas from the pesticide in a closed, poorly ventilated room. The fumes proved especially lethal to the young children due to their higher vulnerability.​

Kalabai, the children’s maternal grandmother, was inconsolable and blamed herself. ​

“We have been preserving wheat this way every year by applying pesticides. Nothing like this has ever happened before,” she said.​

Dr Jitendra Sharma explained that pesticides applied to wheat release toxic fumes. In a closed room with poor ventilation, it creates a suffocating environment, which is far more dangerous and often fatal for infants and young children.​

The Nanakheda police have registered a case of accidental death and involved the Forensic Science Laboratory team. The exact cause will be confirmed after the post-mortem reports are available.​

Experts strongly advise against using chemical pesticides for grain storage in homes with young children. “Safer natural alternatives like neem leaves or other traditional methods should be preferred to avoid such fatal accidents,” they emphasised.​

The incident has triggered widespread concern in the locality, serving as a grim reminder of the risks posed by the improper use of pesticides in residential areas.

The family continues to mourn the loss of two innocent lives while praying for the recovery of the surviving children.

​–IANS

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