Lucknow: Doctors at Balrampur Hospital in Lucknow removed a large lump of hair weighing around 2kg from the stomach of a 17-year-old teenage girl here.

The doctors said the girl was suffering from a rare psychological condition named Trichobezoar where patients eat their own hair by plucking it.

Gastro-surgeon at the Balrampur Hospital Dr. SR Samadder said the patients do so out of depression, and to hide the plucked hair from others, they tend to eat it.

“10 days ago, this girl came to our hospital and complained of vomiting and abdominal pain. There was a large swelling on the upper portion of her abdomen. Her problem couldn’t be diagnosed through ultrasound, X-ray, or CT scan, so we did an endoscopy and found a large trichobezoar in her stomach,” he said.

The doctor further said the lump of hair removed from the stomach of the patient weighed around 2 kg and was measuring 20 cm in length and 15 cm in width. He also informed that the lump had taken the form of a ball of stone inside the stomach of the patient.

“Due to the lump, the food couldn’t stay in the stomach and neither could it pass to the small intestine. Therefore, the girl was getting weaker. She weighed only 32 kg despite being 17 years old. Now that she is operated upon, she will recover soon and will be able to ingest food within four to five days,” he added.

“It is a psychological problem. The person plucks out his hair and eats it hiding it from others. After the girl is in a stable condition, I will refer her to the psychiatric department of our hospital where she would get counseling,” he said.

“She will be given psychotherapy and social therapy. But her parents need to be vigilant as well,” he added.

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London, Nov 22: A bomb disposal squad deployed as a “precaution” to the South Terminal of Gatwick Airport concluded an investigation into a "security incident" on Friday after making a “suspect package” safe.

The South Terminal of Gatwick Airport, the UK's second busiest airport after Heathrow, which was briefly shut owing to the incident reopened following the incident.

The Gatwick is around 45 km south of London.

Two people detained during the enquiries have since been allowed to continue their journey as the airport was opened.

“Police have concluded their investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick Airport. Officers from the EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator,” Sussex Police said in an updated statement.

“Two people detained while enquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel,” the statement added.

Earlier on Friday, the incident caused severe disruption at the busy airport’s South Terminal, while the North Terminal of Gatwick Airport remained unaffected.

“Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20 am on Friday (November 22) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage,” a Sussex Police statement said.

“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with. As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport. This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible,” it said.

Footage on social media taken outside the airport showed crowds of frustrated travellers being moved away from the terminal building.

Gatwick said it was working hard to resolve the issue.

“A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident," the airport said in a social media post.

“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing. The safety and security of our passengers and staff remain our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Train and bus services that serve the airport were also impacted while the police carried out their inquiries.

In an unrelated incident in south London on Friday morning, the US Embassy area in Nine Elms by the River Thames was the scene of a controlled explosion by Scotland Yard dealing with what they believe may have been a “hoax device”.

“We can confirm the 'loud bang' reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a post on X.

“Initial indications are that the item was a hoax device. An investigation will now follow. Some cordons will remain in place for the time being but the majority of the police response will now be stood down,” it added.