Woman Dies, Sarpanch Husband Critical As Gas Cylinder Catches Fire In Odisha’s Boudh

Boudh: A woman was burnt alive while her husband, a sarpanch, sustained critical injuries after a gas cylinder caught fire at Purunakatak Chari Chhak in Odisha’s Boudh district on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Bishnupriya Meher, a schoolteacher by profession. Her husband, Sribant Meher, the sarpanch of Banibhusanpur panchayat, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar.

According to sources, the LPG cylinder caught fire while Bishnupriya was cooking in the kitchen. Hearing her screams, Sribant rushed to her help and tried to douse the flames using water.

However, she died on the spot. The sarpanch sustained critical burns during the rescue bid.

Sribant was initially rushed to the Purunakatak Community Health Centre and then referred to district headquarters hospital here for treatment. He was later taken to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar.

Police have recovered the body for postmortem and initiated a probe into the incident.