The police have sent the teen's body for an autopsy (Representational)
A 13-year-old boy, pretending to hang himself while playing with his friends, accidentally died at a village in UP's Ballia, the police said.
The teen, identified as Anand, was playing with his younger brother and some other children when the incident happened, they said.
Some children were playing on Friday evening when Anand had a dispute with his younger brother David, said police officer Mohammad Fahim Qureshi.
Anand, with the help of a sack nearby, climbed onto a tree, made a noose with a towel, and hung it from a branch, Mr Qureshi said.
However, he lost his balance when his foot slipped and died, he added.
The children raised an alarm, and some villagers reached the spot but Anand was dead by then, Mr Qureshi said.
Anand was a student of Class 5 at a private school in the Amhar area. At the time of the incident, his parents were away at work.
The body has been sent for an autopsy, the police said. Village head Pramod Kumar told news agency PTI that Anand's father, Chhote Lal, and his mother, Ramavati Devi, worked as labourers.
The financial condition of the family is not good, and the family lives in a tin-shed house, he said.
Speaking to PTI, local MLA Uma Shankar Singh expressed sadness over the incident and said that he would soon meet the family and work on providing financial assistance to them.