Took borax to lose weight, vomiting and diarrhea followed by painful death! YouTube video took the life of 19 year old student

New Delhi: A heart-wrenching incident in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu has once again highlighted the dangers of false health prescriptions spread on social media. Here a 19 year old college student consumed a substance called Borax (Venkaram) after watching a YouTube video to lose weight, due to which she died. This incident shows the seriousness of the measures being adopted on online platforms without any investigation.

incident details

The deceased student has been identified as Kalaiyarasi. She was a resident of Meenambalapuram area and was a first year student of a private women’s college in Narimedu. His father Vel Murugan is a laborer and mother is Vijayalakshmi. Kalaiyarasi was worried because she was a little overweight. She often searched for quick weight loss methods on the internet.

According to police, he recently watched a YouTube video in which "Melt fat and get a slim body with Venkaram" As were the claims. On January 16, he purchased this substance from a local shop on Keezhamasi Street. On January 17, he consumed borax as described in the video.

Health deteriorated after consumption

After some time, he started vomiting and having diarrhea. The mother immediately took her to a nearby private hospital and got her treated, where after some improvement she returned home. But the symptoms returned in the evening. She reached home after treatment in another hospital too, but complained of severe stomach pain and blood in the stool.

His condition worsened greatly during the night. At around 11 pm, vomiting and diarrhea occurred again and with the help of neighbors the family took him to Government Rajaji Hospital. But the doctors declared him dead on the way.

Police investigation and post mortem

Sellur police have registered the case and started investigation. Post-mortem of the body was done and handed over to the family. Police are also investigating the role of the YouTube channel and the shopkeeper to see if they have any responsibility in this incident.

What is Borax?

Borax, also known as sodium borate or Venkaram, is a chemical mineral. It is mainly used in cleaning powders, detergent boosters, disinfectants and industrial products. It has antifungal properties, but is not at all safe for human consumption.

Consuming it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, stomach irritation, kidney problems and in severe cases even death. Doctors say that borax should never be used for weight loss or any home remedy.