In a shocking piece of news, three-year-old twins from Delhi--Nishant and Nakshya-- died after they drowned in a washing machine when their mother stepped out only for six minutes to buy washing powder!
Yes, that's right! Police say that perhaps the kids climbed the washing machine out of curiosity to find out what happens when is is on.
“The mother of the boys had kept piles of clothes on the ground near the machine for washing. It appears that one of the kids first climbed the heap to see what was inside the machine and fell inside head on. The second child must have followed his brother. Since both of them fell head on, they were choked. There was no way they could have come out,” said MN Tiwari, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) of Rohini area in New Delhi.
What exactly happened...
The news is a gruesome reminder to parents of why they should never leave their toddlers unattended even for a minute. The freak incident occurred at around 12:30 pm in Rohini's Avantika Housing complex. Rakhi, the mother was alone at home and was preparing to wash clothes, but she realised that the washing powder was missing.
"Rakhi, a housewife, told police that she went to buy a washing powder to nearby market leaving them playing alone at home. When she returned at 12.30 pm she did not find her sons inside the house. She started searching them outside the house while one of neighbours called their father and police about the missing infants," said MN Tiwari.
The father immediately came home and both parents started searching for their boys. Unfortunately, they found them at home in the washing machine.
"Ravinder immediately took them to a nearby family hospital where doctors have declared them dead. The family is in deep shock over this unfortunate incident and hardly talking to anyone. No one is suspecting any foul play in the incident," he added.
Child safety at home
While it is definitely an unfortunate incident and no one should be blaming the mother for what happened, the fact is that as a parent you should never leave the kids unattended, even if you're sure that you'd be back soon.
1. Always ask for someone to watch over your kids if you plan to step out of the house for any urgent household chores.
2. Make sure you lock the kitchen, electrical appliances and any other dangerous items when you leave your kids under the supervision of a caregiver. Also, ensure that all windows and doors are locked.
3. When at home, make sure that your kids play in the same room as you or may be in an area that is visible from all parts of your house.
4. Leave a night light on in the night in case your toddler wakes up at night and plans to venture out.
5. Keep hot drinks out of reach of kids and also do not leave any sharp objects around for them to play with.
6. Never leave your child alone in the bathroom while bathing or doing potty as it could turn out to be a safety risk.
7. If you have a balcony in your house, make sure you leave the door closed when busy or working on something as your child plays alone.
8. Store kitchen chemicals and medicines at a place which is out of reach of kids.
9. Unplug all your mobile and other chargers when not in use.
Also read: Seven harmless things that can actually harm your kids
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[Image courtesy: Pixabay]
