Argus News - Snack Turns Fatal: Four-Year-Old Dies in Daringbadi

Daringbadi, Nov 19: Kandhamal district’s Daringbadi block witnessed a heartbreaking incident when a four-year-old child lost his life after choking on a toy hidden inside a packet of a popular snack.

The incident occurred in Musimaha village near Sikarumaha under Brahmanigaon police limits, leaving the entire community in shock.

The deceased child, Bigal Pradhan, son of Ranjit Pradhan, had gone to the local Anganwadi centre as usual. After classes ended, his father brought him home and later to their maize field. While the parents sat down to eat, Ranjit lovingly handed his son a packet of the snack. Like many children, Bigal enjoyed eating it, but tragedy struck when he accidentally swallowed a small plastic toy gun that came inside the packet.

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The toy got stuck in his throat, causing him to choke and collapse. Witnesses reported that the child began bleeding from his nose and lost consciousness. His parents rushed him to the Daringbadi Community Health Centre, but doctors declared him dead upon arrival. Dr. Yakesh Samantaray confirmed that the child’s airway was blocked, leading to suffocation before medical help could be administered.

The grieving father expressed regret, saying he never imagined that giving his son a snack could cost him his life. He urged other parents not to allow their children to consume such products. Anganwadi workers described Bigal as a bright student, deeply saddened by the sudden loss.

This is not the first such tragedy in Daringbadi. In October, a 10th-grade student, Tushar Mishra of Phulbani Adarsha Vidyalaya, died after accidentally swallowing a pin from the school notice board. The recurrence of such incidents has raised serious concerns about child safety and the risks posed by unsafe packaging and negligence.