By FireRescue1 Staff
BYCULLA, India — A firefighter died of his injuries over the weekend after suffering severe burns during an animal rescue.
Rajendra Bhojane was electrocuted while attempting to rescue a bird stuck on a high tension wire in early December 2016. He and two other firefighters, Sanjay Kalbhere and Dinesh Sabankar, were burned after the stick they were using came in contact with the wire and were electrocuted, reported the Mumbai Mirror.
The three were transported to a hospital for initial treatment, and later taken to a burn facility.
Bhojane suffered burns on 60 percent of his body; he died of his injuries Dec. 31, 2016. Kalbhere and Sabankar, who suffered burns on 30 percent of their body, are still in the hospital undergoing treatment.
Bhojane’s family initially refused to take his body until the Fire Brigade declared him a martyr. His family has been promised compensation for his death. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters.
Bhojane was given official guard honors Sunday.
Officials have asked the civic body that governs the city of Mumbai to relieve firefighters of responding to bird rescue calls. The fire brigade said although bird rescues is not their primary job, they receive around 10,000 bird rescue calls each year.