The death of a 13-year-old girl at Dhaka Medical College Hospital yesterday afternoon has been shrouded in mystery.

The girl identified as Ruma Akhter had died after fighting forlife for about 15 hours at the hospital. She was brought to the hospital about 12:15am by her relatives with whomsheusedtostay.

On admission, doctors found poison in her stomach and gave treatment but she died around 3:45pm.

Badal, a youth who claimed to be Ruma's maternal cousin, said the girl used to stay at her another cousin Suman Kiran's house at Adabar in the city. He said they do not know in what circumstances she tookpoison.

Four to five people including a woman who were attending Ruma at the hospital disappeared after the doctors declared her dead.

The body was lying on the hospital premises till 9:00pm.

When contacted, Suman Khan told The Daily Star that Ruma had been staying with them for the last eight years. He said they brought her from Golachipa in Patuakhali and she used to lookafter his daughter.

Suman said he has rebuked Ruma on Monday and at night she took pesticide kept at the house forusingon plants.

Adabar police said they were not aware of any such incident.