Thiruvananthapuram: In a very saddening incident, a 12-year-old boy lost his life after he allegedly tried to straighten his hair using kerosene oil and a lit matchstick while following a YouTube video. The deceased boy has been identified as Sivanarayanan of Venganoor near Thiruvananthapuram and was studying in seventh standard.

The boy reportedly died of burn injuries after he applied kerosene to his hair and tried to straighten it with a lit matchstick, the police said. The boy tried the act inside the bathroom of his house at a time when only his grandmother was present at home. The boy attempted the act after watching videos of people straightening hair using spirit and fire which are making rounds on social media.

The boy, said to be a social media addict, was taken to hospital and was later declared dead, the police said.