Three tribals were burnt alive and one was critically injured while they were sleeping near a straw heap that caught fire in Jhiliguda village, 20 km from here on Tuesday night. The deceased are Ghasi Parja, Manohar Parja and Rabindra Parja.
Police said four men of the village were sleeping in their threshing ground where the harvested paddy stock were kept when the straw heap caught fire accidentally. One person, who escaped the fire, was rushed to the Jeypore hospital in a critical condition.
Kundra police have registered a case and further investigation is on.