Tragic final photo of boy, 7, surrounded by toxic dust that killed him minutes later - The Mirror

This is the last photo of a seven-year-old boy who died minutes after it was taken due to a severe allergic reaction to building materials in Brazil.

Victim Arthur Emanuel Bitencourt was photographed posing with his thumbs up in the picture, but just moments later he was fighting for his life in a deadly reaction to breathing in limestone dust. Arthur had reportedly jumped into the powder at what looks like an excavation site in Ipiranga, Southern Brazil, on August 3.

Limestone dust contains tiny silica particles that can cause severe breathing problems if inhaled and Arthur was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. Medics, according to local media, said it was the inhalation of the dust that caused Arthur's sudden death.

The heart-wrenching picture of him giving the thumbs up was shared on social media by his family as a warning to others and as a tribute to Arthur.

The seven-year-old with his mother Marlene ( Facebook)

Family member Romaldo Bitencourt said in the caption: "This photo was the last and taken a few minutes before his tragic death, caused by inhaling limestone while playing… The memories I will have of you, my dear child, will always be the best." Local Civil Police have opened an investigation into the boy's death.

In another post he said: "Our gratitude to GOD for putting Arthur in our life a treasure, who stayed with us for seven years, one month and ten days,' he said in a separate post. Life is like a moving train, but our dear and beloved son, brother, nephew, cousin, and grandson, went down (landed) still at the beginning of the journey."

Tributes poured in for the boy, with one woman who appeared to be a friend of Arthur's mother saying: "May God comfort the heart of the whole family right now, you will forever be in our hearts Arthur! Yesterday was a day of great joy, which will be forever marked in Luiz's heart, and today God wanted you close to him!"

Brazil's Technological Research Institute says limestone powder - widely used in building and gardening - can cause breathing problems and that anyone exposed to it is advised to wear protective equipment. The substance is often used in construction in the manufacture of materials including bricks, cement and concrete, but workers wear face masks, gloves and goggles.

Authorities warn that inhaling it can cause severe lung problems, and it can also cause cancer, skin irritation and eye damage. Symptoms of harmful exposure to the powder include decreased lung function, dyspnea, and persistent coughing.

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2023-08-08 07:20:52Z
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