NIMAPARA/PURI: Tragedy struck a village in Puri’s Astaranga block after three schoolboys drowned while bathing in Devi river on Tuesday.
Police identified the deceased as Ayushman Behera (14), Rohan Behera (14) and Ritesh Behera (13), all natives of Balidia village under Nagar gram panchayat within Astaranga police limits.
Sources said the three kids studied in different schools but were close friends. On the day, the boys were returning home from their respective schools when they decided to take bath in Devi river.
According to the plan, the trio reached Devi and went inside the water. While bathing, they were swept away by strong currents and drowned in the river.
When the children did not return home, their family members became worried and launched a frantic search for them. Later, they found the bodies of the three boys floating in Devi river.
On being informed, local police and fire services personnel rushed to the spot, retrieved the bodies and sent them to Astaranga community health centre (CHC). Though the medical officer declared the boys dead, family members shifted them to Charichakka CHC where their deaths were confirmed.
Astaranga police has registered a case in this connection. Bodies of the three children will be handed over to their respective families after postmortem on Wednesday.
Following the tragedy, a pall of gloom has descended on Balidia village.