Bhubaneswar: The death of the 15-year-old minor girl of Balanga in Puri district has cast a pall of grief over the entire village, with the community mourning the loss of the young girl.
Her uncle expressed profound sorrow and anguish over the sudden death of the girl. “We are devastated. Ever since my niece passed away, our hearts have been shattered. We don’t want to blame anyone for her death. The government had extended every support to us,” he said.
Recalling the days of her treatment, he mentioned that the family was holding on to hope as the girl initially showed signs of improvement at AIIMS.
“We were happy to hear she was recovering. But the sudden news of her death left us completely broken,” he added with a heavy heart.
He also said that the entire village is standing in solidarity with the bereaved family and sharing in their pain.
Earlier, her father also reiterated the same voice, urging the public to refrain from politicising the matter. He said that his daughter ended her life due to severe mental duress.
The tragic incident occurred on July 19 near the banks of the Bhargavi River in Puri.
The girl, suffering from severe burns, managed to run to a nearby house. Locals came to her aid, alerted her family, and rushed her to a local hospital. Given the critical nature of her injuries with over 70 per cent burns, she was airlifted to New Delhi the following day and admitted to the Burn ICU of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department at AIIMS on July 20.
Doctors at AIIMS had earlier reported that she was conscious, oriented, and stable, though dependent on oxygen support. She also underwent a skin grafting procedure as part of her treatment. Despite the medical team’s best efforts, she passed away on Friday night.
The brutal nature of the attack has sparked outrage across the state.
