4 People Die After 6-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Uses Pesticide To Make Tea

Four people, including two children, died in India after a 6-year-old child mistakenly added pesticide, while making tea for his family.

The tragic incident took place when the child's grandfather, Ravindra Singh, was visiting his daughter's house in the state of Uttar Pradesh, local police said Thursday.

Singh's 6-year-old grandson, Shivang Kumar, offered to make tea for the family, while his mother was involved in something else. However, the child used pesticide for the hot drink as it apparently looked like tea leaves, according to Hindustan Times.

The child accidentally poisoned himself and his family members after consuming the beverage.

The police said five people — the 6-year-old child, his 5-year-old brother, Divyansh Kumar, their father, Shivanand Kumar, their grandfather and a neighbor, Sobaran Singh — drank the toxic tea and quickly felt uncomfortable.

The children and two other adults eventually fell unconscious, a villager reportedly said.

The five people were rushed to the hospital, where the two children and the grandfather were eventually pronounced dead. The children's father and the neighbor were in critical condition. The death toll later climbed to four after the neighbor also died.

The father was under observation as his condition remained critical. He was reportedly undergoing treatment in Safai Medical College and Hospital in Etawah.

Preliminary investigation revealed "the child went to make tea on arrival of his maternal grandfather on Thursday morning," a police officer said Thursday afternoon.

"Five people fell ill after consuming the tea, out of which four died. The exact reason is being investigated but prima facie it appears that the child had mistakenly added a pesticide, which looked like tea leaves, to the water. It turned the brew into poison," the officer reportedly said.

The police also took samples of items used to make the drink and sent them for examination.

"The four bodies have been sent for autopsy, and police have seized samples of tea powder, milk, and other things for testing. Further investigation is on," a police officer said, reported the Times of India.

"Their viscera will be preserved and sent for further analysis," added another.