Bhubaneswar, Aug 1 (UDN): Four youths were swept away in two separate water-related incidents in Odisha’s Keonjhar and Jagatsinghpur districts on Friday while bathing in swollen water bodies amid the ongoing flood situation. Rescue teams were immediately deployed, with one youth rescued while efforts continued to trace the remaining three.
In Keonjhar’s Champua area, two youths were caught in the strong current of the Kanpur Dam main canal while taking a bath. According to preliminary reports, one youth was initially swept away by the current, following which his companion jumped into the canal in an attempt to rescue him. However, both were carried downstream by the fast-flowing water.
The youths managed to hold on to separate trees inside the canal to prevent themselves from being washed away. Fire and Emergency Services personnel launched a rescue operation soon after receiving the alert and successfully brought one of them to safety. Rescue efforts to reach the other youth were continuing till the filing of this report, with police assisting at the site.
In another incident, two youths went missing after being swept away in the Hansua River near Ambiki village in Jagatsinghpur’s Erasama area.
The missing youths have been identified as Butu Kandi and Kahna Kandi, both residents of Ambiki village. They had reportedly gone to the river with three friends for a bath when they were caught in the strong current and disappeared.
Personnel from the Erasama Fire and Emergency Services launched an intensive search operation shortly after the incident. However, the duo remained untraced till late Friday evening.
The incidents come as several rivers across Odisha continue to flow at high levels following heavy rainfall, increasing the risk of accidents in rivers, canals and other water bodies.
Authorities have urged people to stay away from swollen rivers and flood-affected areas, warning that strong currents can prove life-threatening even for experienced swimmers. The district administrations are continuing rescue and monitoring operations while appealing to residents, particularly those in low-lying and riparian areas, to exercise utmost caution during the ongoing monsoon season.