BHUBANESWAR: A 19-year-old student suffered burns while trying to save his senior college mate, who set herself on fire in Odisha’s Balasore on July 12 after alleging sexual harassment against a faculty member. “She lit a matchstick. I rushed toward her, but the flames engulfed her instantly. They touched my face and clothes. I couldn’t get close enough to help,” the student said Wednesday, reports Hemanta Pradhan.He is undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack with 15% burns. His father, a shopkeeper, said his son was first taken to Balasore district hospital before being shifted to Cuttack on July 13. “Doctors are taking care of him. I hope the government ensures he gets the best treatment,” he said. CM Mohan Charan Majhi called the student on Wednesday, while health minister Mukesh Mahaling said, “The government is taking necessary steps to provide him with the best medical care”.
