Rourkela: In a heartbreaking incident, a 12-year-old boy was charred to death after a fire broke out in a puja pandal in Rourkela this afternoon.

The victim, identified as Badal Moharana, was playing in the pandal located in Sector-7 along with three other children when the fire erupted. While the other three managed to escape, Badal got trapped in the flames and was burnt alive. 

The tragic mishap occurred around 2:30 PM.

Upon being alerted, personnel from Sector-7 Police Station rushed to the spot. Fire personnel managed to douse the flames with their assistance. The boy’s body was later sent to the Rourkela Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Badal’s family resides in a slum behind the Telephone Bhavan. The police are investigating the cause of the fire.