The head of the Sochi-2014 organizing committee on Tuesday rejected media reports that a 13-year-old girl was burned by a faulty Olympic torch in Kostroma during the relay.
A video published Monday on YouTube shows a group of people wearing Sochi-2014 tracksuits struggling with a flaming instrument. The video was named "Exploded Olympic Torch" and the caption says that the incident took place on Friday in Kostroma, 330 kilometers northeast of Moscow.
Local media reported that a torch had exploded while it was being handed to the girl by the previous torchbearer. The girl supposedly received minor burns, but was able to complete her stage of the relay.
The 'Exploded Olympic torch' video reportedly showing people struggling with an Olympic torch. (YouTube / LawlessnessSTOP)But organizing committee president Dmitry Chernyshenko said that the media reports were untrue and that no one was burned.
"The '13-year-old girl' was actually an adult from the legal branch of the Sochi-2014 organizing committee," Chernyshenko told RIA Novosti. During the incident there was a powerful flame, but it was quickly extinguished before a replacement was provided, allowing the relay to get back under way, he said.
The relay was marred by an embarrassing incident in Moscow earlier this month after the torch being carried by Shavarsh Karapetyan, a former swimming champion, went out and had to be relit by a bystander with a cigarette lighter.
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