BERHAMPUR: A woman was swept away by flash flood in the swollen Chakunda nullah near Narigocha village under Bhanjanagar block of Ganjam district on Wednesday night.
Body of the woman, identified as Monalisa Nayak (34) of Pingujhola village, was recovered from a farmland on Thursday. Sources said Monalisa and her husband Ranjit Nayak (40) left their village for Bhanjanagar on a motorcycle on Wednesday evening. They were stuck at Bhanjanagar due to heavy rains. After the downpour stopped, they decided to return home.
On their way, they came across a culvert near Narigocha village which was submerged by the swollen Chakunda nullah. Sources said floodwater was flowing four feet above the culvert.
When Ranjit and his wife tried to cross the culvert, their motorcycle was caught in the strong currents. The couple and their bike were swept away. A local who witnessed the incident raised an alarm following which other villagers reached the spot and launched a search for the couple.
On being informed, fire service personnel of Bhanjanagar also arrived at the spot and joined the search operation. Around 500 metre away from the culvert, the search party heard someone screaming for help and found Ranjit clinging to a tree branch. He was rescued and rushed to Bhanjanagar hospital.
While Monalisa was untraceable, the fire service personnel and villagers had to stop the search due to darkness. After the floodwater receded on Thursday morning, villagers found the woman’s body in an agriculture field. The couple’s motorcycle was also found near a bush.
Monalisa’s body was sent for autopsy and further investigation is underway, said police.