The girl self immolated and was rescued by villagers in Phiringmal.
Villagers accuse the authorities of late response to the situation
The girl succumbed to her injuries later that day in the hospital
The 13-year-old girl allegedly set herself on fire earlier in the day and was in critical condition. The incident took place at Phiringmal village within the Gaisilat police station limits. The girl was visiting her maternal uncle’s house. She was found unconscious with severe burns on a football field, where she was rescued by the villagers. She had suffered severe burns and was rushed to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) hospital, Burla, where she succumbed to her injuries.
“The reason behind the self-immolation is not known. The victim, a class 8 student, used petrol to set herself on fire,” police said to PTI.
Villagers had raised concerns over the delayed emergency response, reporting that the ambulance took more than 45 minutes to arrive. During that time, locals provided first aid and repeatedly sought help from authorities. The community has criticised both the ambulance services and the police for their slow response, NDTV reported
The victim was believed to be from the Tendapatar area. Authorities are yet to receive statements from the girl’s family, and an official investigation is underway to determine if any foul play was involved in the incident.
The latest incident follows the deaths of three other women by burning since July 12. On that day, a 20-year-old woman student in Balasore set herself ablaze on her college campus and died at AIIMS Bhubaneswar on July 14. On July 19, a minor girl was allegedly set on fire by three miscreants in Balanga. She died at AIIMS Delhi in August 2.The third such incident took place in Kendrapara district on August 6, when a third-year undergraduate woman college student’s charred body was found at her house in the Pattamundai (rural) police station area.
