10-Year-Old Spends 4 Days With Mother's Dead Body Thinking She Was Asleep

A 10-year-old boy from India lived with his mother's dead body for four days thinking she was asleep. The boy, who was unaware that his mother died in an accidental fall, attended school every day, ate food and slept beside his mother, police said.

The tragic incident came to light Saturday when the unidentified child from Tirupati, a city in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, called up his uncle complaining about a foul smell emanating from his mother’s body.

The child's uncle came home and found the woman identified as Rajyalakshmi, 41, lying dead. Based on a preliminary investigation, the police believe that Rajyalakshmi died after falling unconscious on March 8.

Rajyalakshmi who worked as a teacher in a private college was living alone with the child in a rented apartment in the city for the last two years after some differences with her husband, police said.

The boy did not disturb his mother thinking she was unwell and resting, a neighbor told the police. After his mother's fall, the boy continued attending school and survived on snacks stored at home. When neighbors asked about his mother, he told them that she was resting.

"When we asked the boy about the death, he said that his mother vomited on March 8 and had been sleeping since then," a neighbor told, as reported by India Today. "So, after a few efforts, he left her undisturbed. But when the body started emitting a foul smell, he informed his uncle," the neighbor added.

Meanwhile, the police said they are investigating the incident and have sent the woman's body for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Last week, police in Oregon found a baby living alone with his deceased mother’s body in a hotel room after the woman died of an apparent drug overdose. The deputies who responded to the hotel room found the 6-month-old child inside a stroller after the Department of Human Services worker reported the incident during a check. The investigators believe that child must have spent four to five days unattended in the room.