A pall of grief has descended upon Rajasthan's Sikar district following the sudden demise of a 9-year-old girl, Prachi Kumawat, who suffered a fatal heart attack at her school, Adarsh Vidya Mandir, in Danta. The tragic incident occurred on Tuesday morning around 11 am during lunch break.
Prachi, a Class 4 student, was about to open her lunchbox when she suddenly collapsed. According to Principal Nand Kishore, she dropped her lunchbox and fainted. School staff, initially thinking it was a case of fainting, rushed to her aid. When she didn't recover after being given water, they immediately transported her to the Community Health Centre (CHC), which was located approximately 500 meters away.
Dr. R. K. Jangid, who was on duty at the Danta CHC, stated that Prachi appeared to have suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. The medical team administered oxygen and performed cardiac resuscitation, briefly improving her condition. However, due to the severity of her condition, she was referred to Shri Kalyan Hospital in Sikar for advanced treatment. Unfortunately, Prachi suffered another cardiac arrest while en route to the hospital in an ambulance and could not be revived. The school was notified of her passing around 1:30 pm.
Principal Kishore and Dr. Jangid both confirmed that Prachi had no known history of heart ailments or congenital heart disease. Kishore described her as a bright, cheerful, and lively child who was good at academics and could recite multiplication tables up to 40. He added, "Even if we used to scold her, she used to keep smiling". Her sudden death has shocked and saddened the school community.
Prachi's last rites were performed on Tuesday evening at approximately 4 pm. Her father, who works in Gujarat, was informed of the tragedy.
This incident highlights the increasing trend of heart attacks among children and young adults. While heart attacks are typically associated with older populations, recent cases have shown that even young individuals are susceptible. In July 2024, a 16-year-old student in Rajasthan died of a suspected heart attack, although he had a pre-existing heart condition. In another incident from November 2024, a 16-year-old IIT-JEE aspirant in Kota, Rajasthan, died of a "silent heart attack".
The exact causes of heart attacks in young people can vary, but potential factors include congenital heart defects, underlying medical conditions, lifestyle factors, and genetic predisposition. In Prachi's case, doctors at CHC concluded it was a heart attack, although a post-mortem examination was not conducted.
