Dhar (Madhya Pradesh): The severe cold wave in Dhar district claimed the lives of two young girls on Tuesday, exposing glaring gaps in school safety and emergency healthcare.
At 7:15 am, 13-year-old Nisha Suryavanshi, a class VI student of Navodaya Vidyalaya, Multhan, collapsed during morning PT. Teachers and classmates rushed her to Badnawar Civil Hospital, but with no doctor on duty, she could not receive timely treatment and died of a silent heart attack. Attempts to reach CMHO Anita Singare reportedly failed.
In a related tragedy, 10-year-old Lakshmi of Jamuniya Naka fell ill after prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures.
She developed a high fever and was referred from Badnawar Hospital to Ratlam Medical College, but later died at a private hospital. Villagers alleged delays and inadequate treatment contributed to her death.
Despite extreme cold, schools remained open with only minor timing adjustments. Human Rights activist Jayesh Rajpurohit urged the Dhar collector to declare holidays, warning that children’s lives remain at risk. However, Collector Priyank Mishra said that he was following Education Department orders.
