Odisha: Elderly farmer charred to death while burning paddy stubble in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Dec 14 (PTI) A 60-year-old farmer was charred to death while burning paddy stubble in his field in Odisha’s Puri district on Sunday, police said.

The deceased was identified as Gajendra Swain, a resident of Sunamuhin village under Pipili police station limits.

His charred body was recovered from the field and sent for post-mortem examination, Souymendu Sekhar Tripathy, Inspector-in-Charge of Pipili police station, said.

Preliminary reports indicated that the fire spread to a nearby field where harvested paddy had not been collected. Swain, who was alone, tried to control the flames but was engulfed by the fire, Tripathy said.

“He died on the spot. The body had around 90 per cent burn injuries,” the officer said. PTI BBM RBT