Rourkela: A six-year-old boy was injured when firecrackers, kept for elephant drive in an SUV, burst in the Biramitrapur forest range.

The forest department had hired one David Kerketta, the father of the child identified as Anuj, as a driver as it was undertaking the elephant drive. The vehicle used to carry officials and crackers. On Friday morning, David took the car home. He was supposed to report back. Anuj, who was playing outside, entered the vehicle. There was a match box kept inside to light incense sticks. He put fire to that and somehow the flames came in contact with the crackers and those burst.

The impact of the blast was so high that the vehicle's back portion and its roof were almost blown off. Anuj was thrown to the driver seat by its impact.

Anuj was first taken to Biramitrapur Government Hospital and later shifted to Rourkela Government Hospital.Rourkela divisional forest officer Sanjay Swain said: "The forest department is taking care of the kid's all medical expenses." He said it was an accidental incident. "All of them were busy in a night-long drive against the elephant and the driver had gone home to wash himself," said Swain.

Rourkela Government Hospital's deputy chief medical officer Dr Sasanka Kabisatpathy said the boy is out of danger. "The injuries were minor in nature, but he is being taken care of," he said.

He said Anuj was out of danger and would be discharged shortly from the hospital.