Six Lives Lost In Three Separate Drowning Incidents In Odisha
The girls reportedly lost their footing while attempting to return from the river and drowned. Villagers learnt about the incident after reaching home and rushed back to the river.
Bhubaneswar: At least six people, including five minor students, drowned in three separate incidents in Odisha on Wednesday, with two tragedies occurring during idol immersion and another during preparations for Karma Puja.
In Sundargarh district, three minor girls drowned in the Shankha river while collecting sand for Karma Puja at Salangabahal village under Raiboga police station.
According to reports, the girls had accompanied villagers and other children to the river to collect sand for the rituals. After the rituals were completed, the villagers and other children returned home, apparently leaving the three girls behind.
The girls reportedly lost their footing while attempting to return from the river and drowned. Villagers learnt about the incident after reaching home and rushed back to the river. They rescued the girls and took them to Biramitrapur Medical Centre, where doctors declared them dead.
In Ganjam district, two students drowned in the Ghodahada river in the Hinjilicut area while taking part in a Ganesh idol immersion ceremony.
The students, residents of Gayatri Nagar and Gajapati Marg areas, had gone to the river with friends for the immersion. They reportedly entered the river during the ceremony and drowned. Local people rescued them in a critical condition and rushed them to a hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
Police reached the spot, seized the bodies and registered an unnatural death case. An investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances leading to the drowning.
In another incident in Ganjam, a Class VIII student drowned in a pond at Sidhikhandi village under Kotinada panchayat during a Ganesh idol immersion.
The deceased was identified as Sitanshu Jena, son of Moram Jena. He had gone to the pond with others for immersion organised by his private tuition class. He reportedly drowned during the ritual and was later rescued and taken to Digapahandi Medical Centre, where doctors declared him dead.
Police sent the body for post-mortem and began an investigation. The boy’s family reportedly alleged that the tuition teacher was not present during the immersion.
