Noida: Two siblings — aged seven and five — died, while their 35-year-old mother, Ruhi, is in critical condition after they fell ill within minutes of having dinner at home in Rabupura’s Shanti Nagar at 9 pm on Sunday. Two other siblings, who were also hospitalised, are now out of danger.According to police, the family had just returned home on Sunday evening after Ruhi underwent surgery for a fibroid at Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida on Saturday.Around 9pm, Divya (14), Deepika (10), Divyanshi (7), and Prashant alias Prince (5) ate homemade pasta while their parents, Anil and Ruhi, and two other relatives consumed papaya, milk and coconut water for dinner.Minutes later, Juhi started complaining of dizziness and vomiting and was rushed to Yatharth Hospital for treatment. Hours later, around 2am, the three daughters, Divya, Deepika and Divyanshi, complained of the same symptoms and were admitted to the same hospital.Divyanshi was declared dead during treatment at 3am. Police arrived at the scene after receiving information from the hospital and launched a probe.The family, already grieving the loss of Divyanshi, suffered another devastating blow when the condition of the youngest child, Prashant, worsened while he was at home. They rushed him to the hospital at 10am, but he succumbed to his condition later at 5:30pm during treatment.While doctors suspect food poisoning, relatives claimed that two of the children, Divyanshi and Prashant, had stayed with Ruhi at the hospital during her treatment, while the two elder daughters remained at home. Relatives suspect the trio contracted an infection during the hospital stay, as symptoms began shortly after they returned home.However, doctors have indicated that food poisoning is a more likely cause of the sudden illness, though no official diagnosis has been confirmed yet.“The other family members also consumed the same food, but nothing happened to them. It could be a chain of reactions. The autopsy report of the girl has not clarified the exact cause of death; hence, the viscera have been preserved,” an officer said.Police are now awaiting further examination results to establish the exact cause behind the deaths and the illness of the surviving family members.
