Bhubaneswar: A 6-year-old boy in Odisha’s Khurda died after allegedly choking on a balloon found inside a Kurkure snack packet, sparking outrage among villagers and renewed calls for stricter regulation of promotional items in packaged foods.
The heartbreaking incident occurred at Nidhipur village under Begunia police station limits. The victim has been identified as Tapas Paikaray, the only son of Abhaya Paikaray and a student of Shishu Batika at the village school.
According to sources, Tapas consumed a packet of snacks produced by an unbranded local company that was kept at his house after returning home from tuition. Inside the packet was a promotional balloon included as a free gift. While attempting to inflate it, the balloon accidentally slipped into his throat, causing severe breathing distress. Family members rushed him to Botolama Community Health Centre, but doctors there could not remove the balloon. He was then shifted to Khurda district headquarters hospital, where doctors declared him dead after examination.
The incident plunged the Paikaray family into deep mourning and shocked the entire village.
A similar incident was reported from Balangir district earlier this month, when an 8-year-old boy Ankesh Harpal lost sight in one eye after a toy inside a snack packet exploded when it came into contact with fire. A 4-year-old boy also died at Musimaha village in Kandhamal district after swallowing a miniature plastic toy found inside a packet of chips in November last year.
