13-year-old girl dies after allegedly setting herself on fire in Odisha's Bargarh district

A 13-year-old schoolgirl, who allegedly set herself on fire at a village in Odisha's Bargarh district, succumbed to burn injuries at a hospital in Burla on Monday, police said.

Bolangir SP Abilash G, who is in charge of Bargarh district, said, “The girl succumbed to burn injuries at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla. We are investigating the reasons behind the girl taking the extreme step.”

The SP said police have registered an unnatural death (UD) case following complaints by her family members.

A three-member police team has been formed to probe the incident, he said, adding that police have recovered a video regarding the girl.

Northern Range IG Himanshu Lal said the girl was staying in a hostel and had come to her maternal uncle's house, where she took this extreme step.

Earlier in the day, the minor was rescued by villagers from a football ground at Phiringmal village within Gaisilat police station limits in Bargarh district in a half-burnt condition.

She was rushed to Bargarh district headquarters hospital and later to VIMSAR, Burla.

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 and died at AIIMS Delhi on 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 from her house under Pattamundai (rural) police station area.