Manjunath Gowda (3), who was admitted to Victoria Hospital with severe burns after he fell into hot sambar on September 27, died on Monday. He fell into the vessel when mid-day meal was being served at the Government Primary School in Byalahalli in Malur taluk.
Manjunath, son of Manjula, an assistant cook at an anganwadi, had taken her son to school that day. After she finished cooking, Manjula kept the hot sambar in a vessel to be served to the anganwadi children. Manjunath, who was playing in the kitchen next to his mother, fell into the vessel.
Manjula joined as assistant cook in the anganwadi four months ago. Her husband Ambarish, an autorickshaw driver, lost his leg in an accident and was unemployed since. She used to take Manjunath to the anganwadi with her. On September 27, the child who was playing with other kids, followed Manjula while she went to kitchen and accidentally fell into the vessel. The body of Manjunath Gowda was handed over to the parents after the post-mortem.
This is the third such incident in the recent past. On September 18, six-year-old Anusha, a first standard student of the Government Model Upper Primary School at D. Palya in Gowribidanur taluk, fell into a vessel containing hot sambar. She died the next day.
Earlier on September 7, Santosh Parappa Hanumannavar of Jaganur Government Primary School in Chikkodi taluk sustained severe burns after he fell into a vessel of hot sambar prepared for the mid-day meal. He later died at a private hospital in Belgaum.
