Delhi: Child dies, sister falls ill after suspected chemical smell in Ghazipur flat

A two-and-a-half-year-old girl died while her elder sister fell unconscious after a suspected chemical smell was reported from a flat in east Delhi’s Ghazipur area on Sunday, an official said.

According to the police, a PCR call was received at around 2.19 pm regarding a suspected chemical odour emanating from a flat in Ashirwad Apartment located in Ghazipur.

“The caller informed that two children had fallen unconscious inside a room where their mother was also present. The children were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital in Sector 11 in Noida, where doctors declared the younger child brought dead. Her elder seven-year-old sister was found to be stable and is currently safe,” the police officer said.

A crime team and officials from the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) inspected the premises as part of the preliminary inquiry. During the inspection, the teams did not find any immediate signs of foul play at the spot, police said.

“In her initial statement, the children’s mother told police that the two girls were playing together inside the room when they suddenly fell over each other and became unconscious,” the officer said.

At the time of the incident, the children’s father, who works as a tailor, was at his shop. Senior police officers also visited the location to supervise the inquiry.

“A chemical expert from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Rohini, has been called to examine the premises to ascertain whether any chemical substance leakage or other hazardous element may have caused the incident,” he added.

Police said further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child’s death is underway.