Hoshiarpur: A 16-year-old boy died on Thursday at the Hoshiarpur Civil Hospital after being critically injured in a group clash at Dadian village on Wednesday night.

The victim, a resident of Dadian village, was initially rushed to Tanda Civil Hospital before being referred to Hoshiarpur due to his deteriorating condition.

According to Tanda station house officer (SHO) Amarjit Kaur, the clash erupted after youths from Dadian and neighbouring Sallan villages got into an argument over motorcycle nuisance, specifically accusing each other of modifying bike exhausts to create firecracker-like sounds (patakas).

“The altercation turned violent, leaving several youths from both sides injured. The victim suffered a stab wound to his abdomen from a sharp-edged weapon, though the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the post-mortem,” the SHO said.

Police have registered a case and launched a hunt to arrest those involved.