In a heartbreaking incident reported from Ooty, a 13-year-old, who was playing “dare games” with her friends, died after she consumed 45 iron tablets in no time to complete a dare. The deceased girl in the incident was identified as 13-year-old Fatima, a class VIII student from Ooty’s Municipal Urdu Middle School. Fatima died within three days of consuming the tables that were kept in the headmaster’s room.
According to reports, the 13-year-old played a dare game with five of her friends, which involved consuming the maximum number of iron tablets that were kept in the headmaster’s room. Fatima ate 45 tablets, which resulted in her death three days later. The other students complained of dizziness and were taken to the hospital.
According to district chief education officer A Muniswamy, the students entered the headmaster’s room during lunch hours and found a box containing iron tablets. Iron tablets are given to girl students of Classes VIII to XII in government schools once a week, and a nodal teacher has been assigned for their distribution.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin, has announced a sum of ₹3 lakh to the family of the girl student who died in the incident, and Rs 1 lakhs to the family of the girls who remain hospitalised.
The Facts of the Matter
The perils of “dare games” among young people have come into sharp focus once again with a recent incident in Tamil Nadu. Such games, which involve challenges that are often dangerous or harmful, can also lead to serious injuries, long-term health problems, and, in some cases, even death. In Tamil Nadu’s Ooty, a 13-year-old girl who was playing dare games with her friends, died after consuming as many as 45 iron tables.
Group of Students Playing “Dare Games”
A tragedy unfolded at a school in the Nilgiris when a 13-year-old girl lost her life after consuming nutrient tablets as part of a ‘dare game’. Fatima, a Class VIII student of Ooty Municipal Urdu Middle School in Kandal, had joined her friends in a bet to consume the maximum number of iron tablets kept in the headmaster’s room.
Fatima Swallowed Three Strips of Iron Pills
During the dare, Fatima swallowed 45 pills, and her condition deteriorated over the next few days. Three other girls and two boys who participated in the game complained of dizziness and were rushed to the Ooty Government Medical College and Hospital.
“While the two boys consumed two or three tablets each, the three girls took at least 10 tablets each. Jaiba Fatima ate three strips, each containing 15 tablets,” district chief education officer A Muniswamy was quoted in a TOI report saying.
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Girls Rushed to Hospital, Fatima’s Condition Worsened
While the boys recovered, the four girls were referred to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for further treatment. Fathima’s condition continued to worsen, and she was shifted to Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai, but she passed away on the way near Salem.
Health Department officials revealed that the students had consumed too many pills distributed under the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation Programme, and four girls, including Fathima, and two others fainted at the school.
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Headmaster Suspended, Financial Assistance to Families
The tragedy has led to the suspension of the headmaster of the school and a teacher in charge of supervising the distribution of supplement pills.
The School Education Department has launched an investigation into the incident. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a relief sum of Rs. 3 lakhs to Fathima’s family and financial assistance of Rs. 1 lakh to each of the other students hospitalized due to the incident.
நீலகிரி மாவட்டத்தில் அளவுக்கு அதிகமாக சத்து மாத்திரையை உட்கொண்டதால் உயிரிழந்த மாணவியின் குடும்பத்தினருக்கு ஆறுதல் மற்றும் நிதியுதவியை மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் அறிவித்துள்ளார். pic.twitter.com/5mzB0Wf7Zs
— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) March 10, 2023
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