A 14-year-old boy died of burns sustained in an open field at Shyadanahalli near Belavatha on the city outskirts. The incident occurred on Apr. 13 when the boy got stuck in loose soil at a vacant plot that was used to dump chemicals illegally. The soil had a high concentration of chemicals.

The victim has been identified as Harshal, who had gone to the field for ablutions along with his friend 17-year-old Manoj, when he came in contact with fire. He was rushed to K.R Hospital where he succumbed to injuries yesterday. His friend Manoj has sustained burns due to similar cause and is under treatment.