7-year-old dies due to suffocation after locking herself inside closet in Gujarat

A seven-year-old girl died of suffocation after accidentally locking herself inside a wardrobe while playing alone at home in Gujarat's Mehsana district, officials said on Friday.

The incident took place in Kadi town, where the Survevanshi family, originally from Maharashtra, resides. According to police, Tusharbhai Survevanshi had gone to work while his wife, Swatiben, was busy with household chores.

After washing and drying winter clothes earlier in the day, she had gone upstairs to clean the terrace, leaving her daughter Aisha, 7, watching television in the hall.

When Swatiben returned downstairs a short while later, she couldn't find her daughter anywhere. After searching through the house in a panic, she opened a wooden wardrobe in the hall and found Aisha unconscious inside. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital with help from neighbours, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.

Police said the girl had likely entered the wardrobe while playing and accidentally trapped herself inside, leading to suffocation. Officers have begun an inquiry into the incident.

Police and local authorities urged parents to remain vigilant, even when children are indoors.

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(With inputs from Manish Mistri.)