On Friday, a 12 year old boy died at a Hyderabad hospital after setting himself on fire in a failed attempt to imitate a stunt he watched on a cartoon TV show. The incident happened in Balapur on Thursday night.
The boy identified as M. Jaideep was staying with his grandparents for the last five years. Jaideep was watching a cartoon show on TV after dinner on Thursday.
Inspector V. Chalapathi spoke to the media and said, “While his grandparents got busy with other work, Jaideep went to the terrace and called his grandfather to show a stunt. However, after some time, the elderly couple heard him shouting and crying on the terrace. They rushed to the terrace only to find him on fire.”
The accident happened at 10:30 P.M. The grandparents tried to put the fire out but Jaideep was already severely injured. The grandparents then rushed the injured Jaideep to a private hospital after which he was taken to Osmania General Hospital for better care.
The inspector also reported, “He succumbed to burns in the wee hours of Friday.”
The Balapur police station has registered a case of suspicious death and an inquiry is on.
Achyuta Rao, a child rights activist said, “Kids have been watching TV shows and movies and trying to imitate Chota Bheem and Baahubali. Parents need to observe their children and inform them that these stunts are dangerous and even the harmless ones must be done only under supervision.”
“We have heard of cases in which children try to imitate WWE stunts and end up injuring each other. Producers and film makers should also keep in mind while making a TV series for children as to what can affect their minds,” Achyuta added.
Another case was reported last year in November when a 12 year old boy died when he tried a mouth breathing stunt he saw on YouTube.
