Six girls swept away in Mahanadi, five rescued
SAMBALPUR: Six minor girls were swept away in Mahanadi river near Badbazaar Ghat here on Sunday. While five of them were rescued, the sixth is still missing.
Sources said search is on for 13-year-old Pinki Biswakarma of Badbazaar area. The girls who were rescued are Asha Dansana, Rani Sahani, Riya Debgan, Sruti Panda and Supriya Panda, all in the age-group of 13 to 16.
Reports said the six girls had gone to the Badbazaar Ghat to take bath. Pinki was swept away by the river current while taking bath. The other five tried to save her and they too were swept away. The five girls held on to a rock and shouted for help following which the locals rushed to the spot and rescued them. But they failed to trace Pinki.
Later, police personnel, along with fire brigade, reached the spot and the five girls were shifted to district headquarters hospital (DHH).
Assistant Fire Officer, Sambalpur Fire Station Jitendra Kumar Dash said they are yet to trace the missing girl. Search operation to trace her continued till 6 pm and will resume on Monday morning, he said.
In another incident, a 45-year-old man drowned in a water tank in Kharsanmal village within Jamankira police limits while he had gone into the water body to collect lotus on Sunday. The deceased is Naveen Mirdha of Bhejikud village within Jamankira police limits. Police retrieved the body from the tank and sent it for post-mortem.