A 13-year-old boy was killed after a firework exploded during an annual religious festival held at a Kovil in the Valaichchenai area of Batticaloa.
The deceased has been identified as a resident of the Kulakkadu area in Kiran, Ada Derana reporter said.
The incident occurred at around 11.00 p.m. yesterday (11) during the night-time festivities at the Kovil premises.
A firework had been lit but failed to explode and was subsequently removed from the area. However, the boy had approached the firework to inspect it when it suddenly exploded, Ada Derana reporter said.
The boy sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately admitted to the Valaichchenai Hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.
Valaichchenai Police are conducting further investigations into the incident.
