Berhampur: A five-year-old boy died after accidentally drinking diesel kept in a cold drink bottle at a construction site in Odasingi area here. The boy, G. Amit Kumar Reddy, was rushed to MKCG Medical College and Hospital where he breathed his last on Thursday night.

BNPur police have registered a case of unnatural death. However, Amit's body was handed over to his bereaved family members after post-mortem, said assistant sub-inspector Prakash Acharya.

Amit was the only son of daily labourers G. Bidyadhar Reddy and K. Rubina Reddy of Pathara village in Kabisurya Nagar police station area. Rubina, who is pregnant now, had gone to her parents' house at Kaliaghai village with her son. Amit went to Odasingi to see reinforcement of cement concrete roof in the newly-constructed house of his maternal aunt where he accidentally drank diesel kept in a bottle near the concrete mixture machine and fell unconscious, said family relative Subrat Shankar Reddy.

He was rushed to the community health centre at Digapahandi, from where he was referred to MKCG as there was no doctor at the community health centre.

"Drinking diesel may cause vomiting, diarrhoea, swelling of stomach, stomach cramps, coughing, drowsiness, restlessness, irritability, unconsciousness, pneumonia and difficult or painful breathing. Drinking large amount of diesel fuel can put one into coma, cause convulsions and may even result death," said a physician at MKCG.

Two drown

Two minor girls, both siblings, drowned on Friday as they fell into a creek near Lembutaila village in Angul district. The deceased are Jhunu Sahu, 13, and Renu Sahu, 12.