Andhra Couple Drown In Odisha’s Baitarani While Rescuing Daughter
The tragedy occurred near Saptamatruka Varahanath Ghat, also known as Baruni Ghat, when the couple’s young daughter got into difficulty while bathing.
Bhubaneswar: A couple from Andhra Pradesh drowned in the Baitarani River in Odisha’s Jajpur district on Thursday while attempting to rescue their daughter who had ventured into deep water during a family pilgrimage.
The deceased, identified as Srinivasu and his wife Devi, were natives of Palamaner in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. The family had travelled to Jajpur to visit Maa Biraja Temple and take a holy dip in the river.
The tragedy occurred near Saptamatruka Varahanath Ghat, also known as Baruni Ghat, when the couple’s young daughter got into difficulty while bathing. Srinivasu rushed into the river and managed to rescue her but subsequently began struggling in the water. His wife entered the river to save him but also got into difficulty.
On being alerted, a fire services team from Jajpur rushed to the spot and rescued the couple in critical condition. They were taken to the Jajpur District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared them dead despite attempts to revive them, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
“We tried our best to revive them, including administering CPR, but there was no recovery of vital signs. Both were subsequently declared dead,” Dr Dipak Kumar Behera of the hospital told reporters.
The family comprised six members, including the deceased couple, their son, daughter, daughter-in-law and son-in-law. They had reportedly arrived from Bengaluru, where they were staying.
Recounting the incident, the couple’s nephew said the family had planned to leave after taking a holy dip in the river when one member accidentally entered deeper waters, triggering the tragedy.
The incident has plunged the surviving family members into grief, turning what was intended to be a religious outing into a devastating loss.
