Keonjhar, : In a tragic incident, an elderly man was charred to death while sleeping in Telkoi locality of Keonjhar district late last night.
The deceased has been identified as Dileshwar Mahakud.
According to reports, Mahakud was sleeping on a bed with a tied mosquito net and his family members were not present at the house in Telkoi village under Telkoi police limits. He had lighted a candle on the bed as there was a power cut.
As a result, the mosquito net caught fire and the old man was charred to death with the bed. It is suspected that due to old age the man could not scream for help.
After learning about the incident, family members arrived at the spot and informed police.
Police reached the spot and recovered the body. Subsequently, the body was sent for post-mortem to a nearby hospital.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, said a police official.
