Bhubaneswar: Unidentified miscreants allegedly set a 15-year-old girl on fire at Bayabar area in Puri district on Saturday. The girl, who suffered 70 per cent burn injuries, was rushed to Pipili hospital by locals and later shifted to AIIMS Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment.

Puri SP Pinak Mishra, who reached the spot, said police have started an investigation and were questioning some people. Scientific teams are engaged in the investigation. No one has been arrested so far, the SP said.

The incident took place around 9 am when the girl was going to her friend's house. Preliminary investigation revealed that three unidentified motorcycle-borne youths intercepted her, forcibly took her to the banks of Bhargavi river, sprinkled an inflammable substance on her body and set her on fire. The miscreants fled the spot after setting the girl on fire.