A toddler girl named Akshita (reported as 16–17 months old) tragically lost her life after falling into a pot of boiling milk in a school kitchen in Ambedkar Gurukul School, Bukkarayasamudram village, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. The incident, captured on CCTV, occurred in late September 2025, prompting alarm over child safety in school environments.
The milk had been prepared for students and left to cool in the school kitchen. CCTV footage shows the toddler entering the kitchen area before accidentally falling into the pot and sustaining severe burns.
Her mother, Krishnaveni, who works as a security guard at the school, immediately rushed her to Anantapur Government Hospital, after which she was referred to Kurnool Government Hospital for advanced treatment. Despite medical efforts, Akshita succumbed to her injuries.
Studies indicate that children under 3 years of age are particularly vulnerable to burn injuries, with scalds being the predominant cause. These incidents often occur indoors, especially in kitchens, and can result in extensive injuries due to the high temperatures involved.
The severity of such burns is compounded by the child's limited mobility and understanding of potential hazards.1
Research indicates that toddlers are particularly vulnerable to severe scald injuries, often occurring indoors where hot liquids are present. Severity increases with the volume and temperature of the liquid, and young children have a higher risk of fatal outcomes due to their smaller body size and limited physiological resilience.
It is emphasized that such tragedies are largely preventable through vigilant supervision, secure handling of hot substances, and restricting young children’s access to potentially dangerous environments. 2
Doctors described her injuries as extensive and fatal. While she received immediate medical attention, the severity of the burns proved beyond recovery. Local health officials confirm that standard medical protocols were followed during initial treatment and transfer, but the outcome remained tragic.
References:
1. Liu, Tian, Yirui Qu, Jiake Chai, Xiangyu Liu, Fangchao Hu, Dongliang Zhang, Hongjie Duan, and Yunfei Chi. 2024. “Epidemiology and First Aid Measures in Pediatric Burn Patients in Northern China During 2016–2020: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.” Health Science Reports 7 (7): e2218. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11273291/?
2.Özlü, Özer, and Abdulkadir Basaran. 2022. “Epidemiology and Outcome of 1442 Pediatric Burn Patients: A Single-Center Experience.” Ulusal Travma ve Acil Cerrahi Dergisi 28 (1): 57–61. https://jag.journalagent.com/travma/pdfs/UTD-69447-CLINICAL_ARTICLE-OZLU.pdf
(Rh/Eth/ARC/MSM)