Sprint ends in tragedy as UP teen dies during race practice, doctor suspects cardiac arrest

Himanshu, 15, collapsed after a 100-metre run in scorching sun; his brother alleged no prompt medical aid, while the college said revival attempts were made before the ambulance arrived.

Bahraich: A 15-year-old boy died while practising for a race at a government-aided inter college in Nanpara in Bahraich district, college officials said on Thursday.

Himanshu, a class 9 student at Sa'aadat Inter College and a resident of Bhaggapurwa village, was participating in a 100-metre sprint with about a dozen classmates on Wednesday as part of preparations for Independence Day celebrations.

Witnesses said he crossed the finish line in third place but collapsed unconscious moments later. An ambulance was called, and he was rushed to the local community health centre, where doctors declared him dead.

Dr. Suresh Verma, a doctor at the health centre, said the boy was brought in dead.

"The cause could be cardiac arrest, though this can only be confirmed after a postmortem," he said, adding that recent years have seen increasing cases of cardiac arrest among teenagers during sports or physical exercise.

However, Himanshu's elder brother, Shivam, told reporters that the teenager had no pre-existing health problems and alleged negligence on part of the school. He claimed the race was held under scorching sun, and that neither immediate medical aid was provided nor was the family informed promptly.

"If he had been taken to hospital in time, his life might have been saved," he said.

College principal Arvind Mishra said all students scheduled to compete in sports events for the August 15 celebrations were called in for practice that day.

"During the 100-metre sprint, Himanshu collapsed. We called the 108 ambulance service and tried for about 10 minutes to revive him before it arrived, but sadly, we could not save him," Mishra said.

Nanpara police station in-charge Ramajgna Singh said the police learned of the incident through other sources but no complaint had been filed by the family or anyone else. The boy was cremated the same day.

Tehsildar Ambika Chaudhary, who is also the college manager, said the revenue inspector is conducting an inquiry. The district magistrate is the ex-officio chairperson of the college's management committee, with the Nanpara sub-divisional magistrate as vice-chairperson.

The boy's family is inconsolable with his mother, Sushma, repeatedly fainting in grief. His father, Ramkumar, who runs a paan shop, said, "When he left for school in the morning, he said he'd be back soon. Who knew it would be his last farewell today?"

He described Himanshu as a bright student and a good athlete who dreamt of studying science and becoming an engineer.