A three-year-old daughter died after drinking a chemical substance, thinking it was water.

A three-year-old girl, who had come from Settikulam area in Vavuniya to a relative's house in Pupurassa, Deltawatta area in Gampola, died after mistakenly drinking hydrogen peroxide, a chemical used to preserve cow's milk, thinking it was water.

While the relatives were enjoying themselves outdoors at the house, the girl, feeling thirsty, went inside and drank a liquid from a bottle kept on a windowsill. This unfortunate incident occurred around 8:00 PM on the 23rd. Immediately after ingesting the chemical liquid, phlegm began to come out of the girl's mouth. Although steps were taken to admit her to Panwilathenna Hospital as soon as the incident was known, doctors stated that the girl had already passed away by then.

An inquest into this untimely death was held before Mr. Lalith Warnaratne, the Inquirer into Sudden Deaths for the Doluwa Divisional Secretariat. Mr. J. Vigneshwaran, the girl's father, who testified, stated that he had tragically lost the only child in his family. The homeowner, Mr. C. Murugaiya, who said he was self-employed in liquid milk trade by raising cows, stated that he kept hydrogen peroxide at home because he adds a few drops of it to the milk milked in the evening to prevent it from spoiling until morning.

The post-mortem examination conducted by Specialist Judicial Medical Officer Ms. I.L. Ratnayake at Nawalapitiya District General Hospital revealed that the cause of death was multi-organ failure due to the ingestion of this deadly chemical. The inquirer into sudden deaths emphasized that adults should use safer places when storing toxic substances inside the house, pointing out that an innocent child's life was lost due to the negligence of adults. Police Sergeant Ranjith Fernando (47105) led the evidence under the instructions of Pupurassa Police Station OIC Chief Inspector Saman Bandara, and arrangements were made to transport the girl's body to her home in Settikulam, Vavuniya.