Class 12 Student Died After Eating Kurkure Snack: Facts

Story:

Last night a 12th student died after eating kurkure Within minutes after eating kurkure, he felt uneasy and fainted He was rushed to Malar Hospital but he was declared dead on reaching there. Please be careful what you eat Better to avoid such junk food St.michaels academy They have declared the holiday today. Probably the WhatsApp message about kurkure containing high amount of plastic that went viral sometime back was not a hoax at all.

When he complained on uneasiness, parents gave him a ENO, he started vomiting n fainted. As per the doctor’s when it rises, it becomes poisonous. Pls share with yr family n friends n spread May God give his parents the strength as he the only son.

Other Versions

1. Student died after eating KURKuRE be careful guys.

2. Last night my son’s classmate (12th standard) passed away. The family and friends are all shocked and shattered. He ate “KURKURE” by 9.30 pm and developed stomach-ache and had ENO after that. Died in a few minutes. I’m posting it here as a caution to young boys and girls and parents.

Fact Check:

A message that surfaces online quite often warns consumers that last night in Chennai (India), a class 12 student died after eating Kurkure snacks and drinking Eno antacid later. As explained below, the death incident is true, but the actual reason behind the death was not verified, so the claim that Kurkure was the reason behind the death is not a fact.

Picture of Kurkure Snack and Eno Antacid — Kurkure Snack and Eno Antacid

Has a Student Died After Eating Kurkure?

On 30 November 2016, Musician and anchor James Vasanthan posted a word of caution on his Facebook account mentioning the incident that Sirish Savio, his son’s classmate at St Michael Academy in Adyar, Chennai, had passed away. It is said that the boy’s family claimed he ate a bag of Kurkure chips, which left him with a stomach ache. He was then given an Eno antacid, and the boy reportedly died in few minutes. The Facebook post was subsequently shared by Tamil actor Shanthnu on Twitter, which is how the story created buzz on social media and went viral then.

Came across this very disturbing post!Request everyone to share as much as possible&take precautions, May God give strength to d family?? pic.twitter.com/h70bU0ePc1

— Shanthnu Buddy (@imKBRshanthnu) November 30, 2016

The old story saying a student died after eating Kurkure keeps resurfacing online again. The story gained traction also because of earlier reports of Plastic in Kurkure, and was also reminiscent of another story warning people not to eat Mentos before or after drinking Coke or Pepsi.

Kurkure Contains High Amount of Plastic: Facts

Dont Eat Mentos Before or After drinking Coke or Pepsi – Facts Analysis

Actual Facts

News reports say that Sirish Savio ate Kurkure snacks, and due to uneasiness, he was given Eno antacid with water. He began throwing up blood vomit and was rushed to the nearby Fortis Malar Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The hospital’s spokesman initially said the boy could have been allergic to the antacid and that the case needs to be investigated legally. Later, the hospital refused to give details saying the family had requested it to maintain confidentiality. The Musician James Vasanthan deleted his Facebook post and added an update saying the family requested privacy. Police on the other hand said they didn’t receive any complaint of unnatural death from the hospital or family.

Response of Experts and Kurkure Company

Both Kurkure and Eno are popular brands in India. It is less likely an antacid can react so strongly with a fried snack and kill a healthy student. Some experts online pointed that the boy may have had an allergic reaction, or a pre-existing condition that was exacerbated by the Kurkure-Eno combination. One doctor even suggested the possibility that the packet of Kurkure snacks could have expired and become toxic. So the actual reasons for the death of Sirish Savio, a class 12 student haven’t been verified. Post the unfortunate death incident, a Spokesperson of Pepsico, the makers of Kurkure, released the below statement:

“We are extremely saddened by this tragic news and our sincere condolences are with the family. However, the linking of the demise with Kurkure is factually incorrect and baseless. Safety of our consumers is paramount and we would like to assure all our consumers that our products, including Kurkure, are safe for consumption. They are made from the highest quality kitchen ingredients and comply with all the necessary safety and regulatory norms in India.”