18-year-old dies after brushing teeth with rat poison, mistaking it for toothpaste

An 18-year-old girl in India died after she brushed her teeth with rat poison, mistaking it for toothpaste.

The police said Tuesday the incident took place in Mumbai, India's biggest city and one of the most populous in the world. On Sept. 3, the girl, identified as Apsana Khan, woke up in the morning and went to brush her teeth as usual. However, she mistakenly picked up and used a tube of rat poison cream kept beside the toothpaste tube.

"While brushing she realised that she has not used the toothpaste due to which she washed her mouth immediately," a police officer told the Indian Express.

Khan, who was scared to tell her parents as she thought they might scold her, kept popping some medicines because she felt uneasy with severe stomach aches, local media reported. Her parents later found out she was unwell and took her to at least three private and public hospitals. However, her health kept deteriorating as time passed.

She later told her family members what had happened. On Sunday, they took her to Sir JJ Hospital for treatment. Despite receiving treatment, the girl died Sunday evening.

The girl is survived by her parents, an elder sister and two younger brothers, Siasat Daily reported, citing IANS.

An autopsy confirmed the girl died due to poisoning. The Dharavi Police Station collected samples for a forensic analysis and launched an investigation into the incident. On Monday, the police recorded the statements of her family on the incident and registered an accidental death report. There were no charges filed in the case.

On Saturday, a 16-year-old girl died after she took poison in front of her younger brother following an argument with him over playing a mobile game. The teenager from Mumbai was hospitalised for treatment, but was later declared dead. The police said the girl consumed rat poison Friday night after fighting with her brother. She had purchased the poison from a nearby pharmacy and consumed it in front of her brother, officials told local media.