13-Year-Old Girl Dies After Setting Herself On Fire In Bargarh District – Fourth Such Incident In A Month News24 –
A 13-year-old Class 8 student tragically died after self-immolating in Odisha’s Bargarh district on Monday morning. This is the fourth such incident in the state within a month, following similar cases in Balasore, Balanga, and Kendrapara.
The tragic incident occurred while the girl was visiting her maternal uncle’s home in Firingimal village, Bargarh. Found unconscious with severe burns on a football field, she was rushed to Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) hospital in Burla, where she later succumbed to her injuries. The reason behind the incident is still unknown. Reports suggest that the victim had used petrol to set herself on fire.
The villagers raised concerns about the delayed emergency response; they further reported that the ambulance took more than 45 minutes to arrive. During that time, the locals provided her first aid and repeatedly sought help from the authorities.
Investigation Launched
Authorities have launched an official investigation to probe any foul play in the girl’s tragic act. With multiple similar incidents reported in the region, police are working to uncover the underlying causes of these cases.
Other Incidents
On July 12, a 20-year-old woman student in Odisha set herself on fire after allegedly enduring prolonged sexual harassment from her college’s head of department. The victim had tried to raise her concerns, lodge a complaint, and seek help from the principal; her pleas were ignored, leading to the tragic incident.
After the self-immolation, the student was admitted to Balasore district hospital and later shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar as she suffered 95% burns, as per hospital reports. Amid the outrage, the Principal of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College, Dillip Kumar Ghosh, was arrested, and the local court sent him to 14-day judicial custody in connection with the case. The victim succumbed to her injuries and was declared dead at 11:46 PM 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. On August 6, a third incident occurred in Kendrapara district, where the charred body of a third-year undergraduate female college student was discovered at her home under the Pattamundai (Rural) police station.
A similar incident took place in Kendrapara district on August 6, when a third-year undergraduate college student’s charred body was found in her house in the Pattamundai rural area. The victim’s father revealed that she had been in a relationship with a youth for the past two years and had taken her own life after being blackmailed by her ex-boyfriend. He further added that she had broken up with him six months ago.