College Student Dies After Consuming Borax for Weight Loss Following Social Media Video

Madurai: A 19-year-old college student died after consuming ‘venkaaram’ (borax), following a weight-loss tip seen in a social media video, police said.

The victim, Kalaiyarasi, a first-year student of a private women’s college in Narimedu, was the daughter of daily wage worker Vel Murugan and Vijayalakshmi of Meenambalpuram in Sellur. Police said she had been looking for ways to reduce weight and recently watched a YouTube video that claimed borax could help “melt fat” and slim the body.

Based on the video, Kalaiyarasi bought borax from a native medicine shop in Keezhamasi Street on January 16 and consumed it the next day. Soon after, she developed vomiting and diarrhoea and was taken by her mother to a private hospital in Munisalai, where she was treated and sent home.

Her condition worsened later in the evening, with severe stomach pain and blood in her stools. She was taken to another nearby hospital for treatment but continued to suffer intense vomiting and diarrhoea. Late at night, her health deteriorated rapidly, and neighbours helped rush her to the Government Rajaji Hospital.

Doctors declared her dead while she was being taken to the hospital, police said. The body was later handed over to the family after post-mortem examination. The Sellur police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the incident, including the source of the social media content that led to the consumption of the substance.