A 17-year-old boy was electrocuted while fishing with an inverter at a river in the Jalpaiguri district on Monday afternoon.

Sources said Rahul Munda, a resident of the Hila tea estate in the Nagrakata block, was fishing with three of his friends at the nearby Jiti river.

“They were using an inverter tied to a metal hook to electrocute and catch fish. Suddenly, Rahul fell into the water and got electrocuted,” police sources said.

Mustakim Mian, a resident of the tea garden, expressed concern over the incident and said illegal fishing with inverters should be stopped.

“It destroys the aquatic population of the water body and poses serious risks to human life. Today we lost the boy and if such practices continue, more people might face the same fate,” said Mustakim.

As the news spread, a police team reached the spot and recovered the body. It was sent to the district hospital in Jalpaiguri today for post-mortem.

Shyamaprasad Pandey, an environmental activist based in the Dooars, said a section of fishermen use pesticides or electrocution to catch fish.

“Such practices are severely impacting fish reproduction and harming the ecosystem. The administration must take strict action,” he said.

The district magistrate of Jalpaiguri, Shama Parveen, mentioned that officials of the district fisheries department have been instructed to take preventive measures.

“Necessary steps will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future. Those resorting to such practices will face legal consequences,” said Parveen.