2-Year-Old Dies As 'Pop-Pop' Crackers Burst In His Mouth In Chhattisgarh

A two-year-old boy died in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district after a firecracker exploded inside his mouth, his family members said on Friday.

The incident took place on the morning of November 9 in Navapara village under Sitapur police station limits when he was playing with other children in his neighbourhood who were bursting 'lehsun' (garlic-shaped) pop-pop firecrackers, a police official said.

A 'lehsun' cracker is designed to explode due to friction or pressure when thrown on the ground.

"Aditya succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital in Ambikapur, the district headquarters, on November 11 night. An accidental death report has been registered. Further investigation is underway," the official said.

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The boy's father, Indrajit Manjhi, told PTI over the phone that his son was playing with other children who were bursting 'lehsun' crackers when he picked up a small packet lying on the ground and put it into his mouth.

"The firecracker exploded inside his mouth, injuring his gums and causing bleeding. We did not see which cracker he had put in his mouth. The other children told us about the incident," Manjhi said.

The family initially took the boy to a community health centre in Sitapur on November 9 and brought him home after the bleeding stopped, he said.

"However, when the bleeding started again, we took him back to the health centre the next day. Later, he was shifted to a mission hospital in Ambikapur on November 11 afternoon. My son died there the same night. Doctors who conducted the post-mortem examination also found traces of firecracker material inside the child's throat," Manjhi said. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)