This is the last heartbreaking photo of a seven-year-old boy who died minutes later apparently poisoned by the limestone powder he was buried in up to his chest.
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, in the state of Parana, in the Southern Region of Brazil, on 3rd August.
Limestone dust contains tiny silica particles that can cause severe breathing problems if inhaled.
His family rushed Arthur to hospital but 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.
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.
Brazil’s Technological Research Institute says limestone powder – widely used in building and gardening – can cause breathing problems.
Anyone exposed to it is advised to wear protective equipment.
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Story By: Joseph Golder, Sub-Editor: Marija Stojkoska, Agency: Newsflash
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