Rajasthan: 9-Year-Old Girl Collapses While Opening Lunchbox at School, Dies of Suspected Cardiac Arrest
Rajasthan: 9-Year-Old Girl Collapses While Opening Lunchbox at School, Dies of Suspected Cardiac Arrest
In a deeply tragic incident that has left a school and its community grieving, a 9-year-old girl from Danta town in Rajasthan’s Sikar district died suddenly after collapsing during lunch at school. The child, Prachi Kumawat, a Class 4 student at Adarsh Vidya Mandir, fell unconscious while opening her lunchbox on Tuesday morning and never regained consciousness.
According to school staff, Prachi had only recently returned to school after recovering from a mild cold. She appeared cheerful and healthy, participating in the morning assembly with enthusiasm, teachers said. But just a few hours later, around 11 am, she suddenly collapsed in her classroom.
“She dropped her lunchbox and fell. Initially, we thought she had fainted, which sometimes happens with children. But this seemed different,” said school principal Nand Kishore. Staff quickly rushed her to the nearby Community Health Centre (CHC), located just 500 meters from the school.
Medical staff at the CHC reported that Prachi was unresponsive, had no pulse or blood pressure, and was struggling to breathe when she arrived. Dr. Subhash Verma, part of the emergency team, said, “She was gasping for breath. We gave her CPR, oxygen, injections — everything we could — and after nearly 90 minutes, there was a faint response.”
Despite the team’s efforts, she was referred to Shri Kalyan Government Hospital in Sikar for further treatment. Tragically, she passed away en route. The ambulance had left the CHC at 12:15 pm, and her death was confirmed by 1:30 pm.
Doctors suspect a sudden cardiac arrest may have been the cause. “Though rare, congenital heart issues or electrical disturbances in the heart can go unnoticed in children. A proper investigation would help, but a post-mortem was not conducted at the family’s request,” said Dr. Verma.
Prachi’s father works in a private firm in Gujarat. At home and in school, she was known for her bright smile, intelligence, and kind nature. “She knew multiplication tables up to 40. Always smiling, even when scolded,” said Principal Kishore.
A video of Prachi introducing herself at school, recorded just days earlier, now serves as a poignant reminder of her joyful presence. Her funeral was held by 4 pm the same day, with classmates and teachers still struggling to process the sudden loss.
The incident has sparked conversation about the need for routine health screenings in schools and better awareness of cardiac risks in children — even when no symptoms are apparent.
