A one-year-old child died and three other youngsters were hospitalised after an incident at a New York City daycare, according to reports.
A two-year-old boy is in critical condition, while another two-year-old boy and an eight-month-old girl are both in stable condition.
The one-year-old boy was declared dead at the scene of the Friday incident, the Divino Nino daycare in the Kingsbridge Heights area of the Bronx, says the New York Police Department.
The infants were found unresponsive by staff at the facility, who called 911. When EMS first responders arrived they found two infants in cardiac arrest and called the FDNY for backup, reported CBS News.
The children reportedly ate food at around 1 pm before taking a nap. When staff went to wake them at 2.30pm they were found unresponsive, reported WABC.
The FDNY tested for a carbon monoxide leak and determined that was not the cause.
An investigation is focussing on whether drugs played a role in the death, according to NBC 4 New York.
The facility is licensed to look after up to eight children between the ages of six weeks and 12 years old.
A witness told CBS New York that they heard staff screaming and saw “unresponsive” toddlers on a mat inside the daycare.
She says a worker was yelling, “They’re dying, they’re dying,” as an employee was carrying a child outside.
Police sources told WABC that the daycare owner is fully cooperating with police and helping with the investigation.
