BERHAMPUR: A 12-year-old boy was reportedly burnt alive after a gas cylinder exploded in a tea shop at Dantalingi chowk under Sorada police limits in Ganjam district on Tuesday.
The deceased was identified as Badal Muli of Gangapur village under Badagada police limits. He was Class VII student.
Sources said Badal had come to spend his summer vacation at his maternal grandfather’s place in Dantalingi village. On Tuesday afternoon, he was at his grandfather’s tea shop when an LPG cylinder reportedly exploded all of a sudden, leading to a fire. The boy could not get out of the shop and was reportedly burnt alive.
After hearing the loud sound of the explosion, locals rushed to the spot and found the tea shop engulfed in flames. On being informed, fire services personnel from Sorada reached the spot and doused the fire. But by then, Badal was charred to death.
Badal’s grandfather Ganesh Muli said, “My grandson had come to give me company as I was alone at the shop. I asked him to keep a watch on the shop while I went to relieve myself. When I returned, the shop was on fire.”
Eyewitnesses said the boy got trapped inside the shop and was unable to come out as the flames spread quickly. Despite desperate efforts, he could not be rescued in time. The blaze also sparked panic among nearby shopkeepers and commuters in the busy market area.
Later, Sorada police visited the mishap site and seized Badal’s charred body for postmortem. An investigation has been launched to ascertain the circumstances leading to the LPG cylinder explosion and the subsequent fire.
Local tehsildar Gopal Krushna Routray said, “A probe is underway. We are examining if any safety lapse or technical fault contributed to the fire mishap. The exact cause of the fire will be determined after completion of the official investigation.”