RAYAGADA: Two minor boys were swept away in Vansadhara river in Gunupur on Monday. The duo was identified as Ratnakar Badanayak (9) and Samuit Badset (10) of Srirampur village under Kotgada block of Kandhamal district.
The incident occured when six boys visited the Minajhola Shiva shrine in Chandrapur block to offer prayers, marking the last Monday of the holy month of Shravana.
Unfortunately, due to slippery surface of the shrine, two minors slipped into the water. The strong current of the river carried them away, and they went missing. Despite efforts of the people in the vicinity, the boys could not be traced. Firefighters and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) reached the scene and launched a search operation but in vain.
The search continued late into the night in the presence of Chandrapur tehsildar Ashok Kumar Tripathy. The parents of the two minors have been informed. The shrine is located amidst the river and a large number of devotees throng the temple to perform ‘jalabhishek’ rituals.