Early in the morning of November 14, Mr. Giridharan (34 years old, bank employee) woke up in a state of dizziness, vomiting, and difficulty breathing. He tried to shake his wife - Ms. Pavithra (31 years old) to seek help but discovered that his wife and both children were in a coma.

As soon as he realized the abnormality, he tried to call an ambulance.

The whole family was then taken to the hospital in critical condition. After many hours of emergency care, Mr. Giridharan and his wife were lucky to save their lives. However, the two children, Vaishnavi (6 years old) and her younger brother Sai Sudharshan (1 year old), did not survive. The bodies of the two children were transferred to the Chromepet Government Hospital for an autopsy. The children's parents were also transferred to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Porur.

Noticing many unusual signs, the police relied on the doctor's conclusion and autopsy results to investigate and clarify the case.

The "fateful" night

It all started on Wednesday, November 13, when Giridharan contacted a pest control company in T Nagar through an online service to deal with rats and insects at his home in Chennai. While his wife, Pavithra, took the children to the temple, the company's staff came to spray pesticides, set gel traps and pills outside the house. The family returned that evening and slept in the air-conditioned room as usual. However, "death" quietly visited Giridharan's family that night.

According to the police report, the toxins in the insecticide and rodenticide diffused into the air in aerosol form and accumulated in the lungs of all four people. Since the air-conditioned room was closed, it created favorable conditions for the toxins to affect the whole family.

Dr Chandrasekaran, an emergency medicine specialist at SRM Hospital (Chennai), said: "Rat and insect poisons come in many forms such as powders, tablets, cakes, gels and sprays. They usually contain zinc phosphide and aluminium phosphide. These are highly toxic and each form has its own toxicity. In the case of the two children, the symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting and asphyxiation suggest that organophosphorus poisoning (found in pesticides) may also be the cause. This chemical affects the respiratory system. When used in a closed room, inhalation can lead to poisoning and death. Children are particularly vulnerable."

Immediately after the cause was clarified, the police quickly booked three individuals from the pest control company. Two employees, Dinakaran and Shankar Das, have been arrested. The company owner Premkumar is currently absconding and a special task force has been formed to arrest him.

As of now, the Giridharan couple are out of danger, but both of them will have to be monitored in the ICU for the next two days. Due to some health problems, the couple still do not know that their two children have died.

The incident is currently attracting a lot of attention from the Indian public. The heartbreaking tragedy that the Giridharan family encountered is like a warning bell for people to use toxic chemicals to kill harmful animals and insects.

Regarding this incident, many doctors have reminded people to be more careful to avoid similar heartbreaking incidents from happening.

Dr Karthikeyan, Meenakshi Super Speciality Hospital (Madurai), says: "There are three types of rat poisons: powder, tablets and gels. People often think that the gel form is the most dangerous. However, even inhalation of rat poison can cause problems. The zinc phosphide in rat poison can cause asphyxiation. In Indian certification labels, it is marked as ‘High Hazard’, which means that 1–50 mg of the substance ingested can be fatal."

Some notes when using rat and insect poisons

1. Read the instructions carefully and the warnings on the packaging of the drug. Always use the correct dosage and application method as directed. Using too much rat poison can have adverse effects on the health of the user.

2. Store rat poison in a safe place, out of reach of children and pets.

3. When using, wear gloves and a mask carefully to avoid direct contact. Note that do not eat, drink or smoke while in contact with rat or insect poisons.

4. Wash your hands thoroughly after using the drug.

5. Prevent children and pets from approaching the area where the drug has been used.

6. In case the rat poison gets on the skin, eyes or if you suspect that it has been swallowed, seek medical help immediately.

7. Always keep the phone number of the poison control center handy to contact when necessary.

By following these guidelines, you can minimize your risk of unnecessary poisoning.