India: 5-year-old cancer patient from Delhi submerged in Ganga in search of 'miracle cure,' dies

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In Haridwar, Uttarakhand, a five-year-old boy battling blood cancer lost his life after being immersed in the icy Ganga river by his parents and relatives in a desperate bid for a miraculous cure.

The distressing episode unfolded at Har ki Pauri, where the young boy from Delhi was submerged in the freezing river during the cruel winter conditions prevailing in North India.

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The family, grappling with the child's blood and bone cancer diagnosis, resorted to this desperate measure in the belief of a divine intervention.

Tragic video footage emerges

A chilling video captured the heartbreaking act, showing a woman, purportedly the boy's aunt, submerging him in the river for a brief period. Onlookers can be seen interveningto retrieve the lifeless child, prompting a violent reaction from the woman. Another video showsher sitting on the ghat, laughing, and making ominous promises of the boy's revival, invoking the Ganga's blessings.

Amid the turn of events, senior police officials suspect that the boy may have already succumbed to his illness before the immersion. Preliminary findings indicate that the child, undergoing treatment at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, might have died before reaching Haridwar. An in-depth investigation is ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident, as reported by the Indian Express.

The family, facing the grim prognosis from doctors at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, turned to the Ganga River as their last resort.

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Haridwar Additional SP Swatantra Singh, who spoke to the Indian Express, highlighted the necessity of awaiting the postmortem report before determining appropriate legal actions. The grief-stricken family members, deeply affected by the tragedy, have been questioned, with authorities exercising caution in their approach due to the evident shock. The hired driver from Delhi also suggested the possibility of the boy's demise on the way to Haridwar.

(With inputs from agencies)