2 children dead at shelter home in MP, 12 fall ill; cause of death unknown

Two children have died while 12 have fallen ill at a shelter home in Madhya Pradesh's Indore in the last two days, an official said on Tuesday.

Karan (12) and Akash (7), both inmates of Bal Ashram of Shri Yugpurush Dham in the Malharganj police station area, died on Monday and Tuesday, respectively, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Alok Kumar Sharma said.

The official said the exact cause of these deaths will be ascertained after the post-mortem reports arrive.

The ashram houses more than 200 children, including orphans and those suffering from mental ailments, he said.

Twelve children from the facility have been admitted to the government-run Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) with complaints of vomiting and diarrhoea, the hospital's superintendent, Dr Ashok Yadav, said.

Two children are in critical condition due to lack of water in the body, he said, adding that all ailing children are under 14 years.

Indore collector Ashish Singh visited MYH to enquire about the children.

"According to doctors, prima facie, it appears to be a case of food poisoning. A team, led by the additional district magistrate, comprising doctors and officials of the food department has been sent to the Bal Ashram for investigation," Singh said.

The 12-year-old boy, who died at the facility run by an NGO, suffered brain seizures, and suspected food poisoning had nothing to do with his death, the official said.

The exact cause of the death of the two children will be known after a detailed inquiry report, he said.

The management of Shri Yugpurush Dham has written to the Child Welfare Committee, claiming that ten inmates have "blood infection", officials said.

However, the administration has not yet verified the management's claim, it was stated.