11-year-old dies after drinking from classmate's water bottle in Delhi school

A Class 5 student of a private school in Delhi died on Wednesday after she drank from a classmate's water bottle, which is suspected to have contained an "acid-like substance", police said. The incident happened at a school in northeast Delhi's Harsh Vihar area and the 11-year-old girl, who died, lives nearby.

After having lunch, she drank from a classmate's water bottle. Then she vomited in the classroom, following which she was taken to Guru Teg Bahadur hospital, where she died during the course of treatment, a senior police officer said.

A case has been registered and an investigation is underway, Atul Kumar Thakur, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) said.

Sources said it is suspected that the girl consumed a corrosive substance. The forensic teams collected samples from the spot and it was found that the portion of the floor where she had thrown up was completely discoloured, leading the police to suspect she had consumed acid.

The bottle from which she had "water" after lunch has been seized and will be sent for forensic examination to ascertain the cause of the girl's death, police said.

Officials said the exact cause of the death will be ascertained through the autopsy report, which is awaited.