Elderly man charred to death after his blanket catches fire in Odisha’s Nabarangpur

Jharigaon: An elderly man who had set afire dry leaves and twigs near his bed to prevent the coldness of winter charred to death as his blanket caught fire at Butisergi village of Belagaon panchayat under Jharigaon block in Nabarangpur district, late Sunday night.

The deceased was identified as 55-year-old Bhikari Mali, who belonged to Bitisergi village.

According to a source, Bhikari was sleeping alone outside his house when the fire mishap occurred. His son Bhuban Mali had gone to a farmland at night to guard paddy crops and Bhuban’s wife was sleeping inside the house. Unfortunately, a blanket caught fire leading to the elderly man’s death.

“After I returned home from the farmland at around 7.00 am, I saw my father dead. He had charred and I don’t know how and when the fire mishap occurred,” Bhikari’s son Bhuban expressed.

On being informed by the family, local police reached the spot and launched a probe.