Boy catches fire at actor’s birthday celebration in southern India
by Bhagyashree BarmanA boy was severely burned during a birthday celebration for popular actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam party leader Vijay, who turned 50 recently in southern India’s Tamil Nadu.
The incident took place in Neelankarai, Chennai city on June 22.
Visuals showed a boy, whose hand was lit on fire as part of the stunt, successfully broke the tiles but couldn’t extinguish the flames. The fire quickly spread to his upper arm, causing him to scream and shake his hand in a desperate attempt to put it out. The spreading flames then ignited a petrol can held by a show facilitator, setting parts of the stage on fire. Fortunately, bystanders rushed to his aid and tried to extinguish the flames.
According to reports the event included risky activities for children such as pouring petrol on their hands and breaking tiles .
Bystanders rushed to extinguish the fire and rescued the boy, who was taken to a private hospital in Neelankarai for intensive care. It was later revealed that the petrol was illegally obtained in a water can and that the event did not have proper authorization.
This incident comes shortly after Vijay urged his fans to avoid celebrations and assist victims of the Kallakurichi illegal liquor tragedy, which claimed over 50 lives.