Bhubaneswar: In a tragic incident, a 12-year-old boy was electrocuted at Kulantirasasan village under Balipatna police station limits in Khordha district on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased has been identified as Akshay Kumar Bhoi alias Bula, a resident of the same village.
According to reports, the incident occurred around 1.30 pm during a spell of heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning in the area. A live electric wire, which had reportedly been tied to a tree, snapped and fell to the ground.
Unaware of the danger, Akshay went to collect broken tree branches and came in contact with the live wire. The electric current severely burnt his hands, back, and abdomen, and he collapsed on the spot.
A woman present nearby witnessed the incident and raised an alarm. Acting quickly, a villager named Litu Bhoi used a bamboo stick to remove the live wire and rescue the boy. Akshay was immediately rushed to the Balipatna Community Health Centre (CHC). As his condition was critical, he was referred to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar, where doctors declared him brought dead.
Following the incident, tension prevailed in the village as locals blamed the electricity department for negligence, alleging that the live wire was loosely tied to a tree and posed a danger to the public.
