28/04/2026
In the Triveni Hills area on Indore Road, Madhya Pradesh, two young girls lost their lives and three other children were hospitalised after inhaling toxic fumes from pesticides applied to wheat stored inside a house. All the children and their mothers slept in a closed rear room of the house, where nearly four quintals of wheat had been stored. The wheat had been treated with chemical pesticides. With no ventilation in the room, toxic fumes accumulated overnight, turning the space into a death trap.
Pesticides used for grain storage, release gases that are highly toxic when inhaled in enclosed spaces. Acute exposure can cause symptoms like headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, confusion, and convulsions. In severe cases, it leads to respiratory failure, cardiac arrest, and death within hours. Children are particularly vulnerable due to their higher breathing rates, smaller body size, and developing organs. This incident reveals the dangerous side of pesticide usage and the risks of handling and storing them in households.
On Monday night, all the children and their mothers slept in a closed rear room of the house, where nearly four quintals of wheat had been stored.
