BERHAMPUR: Two persons collapsed and died during separate Ganesh idol immersion procession in Rayagada on Friday night.
A 54-year-old allegedly died of heart attack during immersion preparations amid loud DJ music in Majhiguda under Kalyansinghpur police limits. Benu Gopal was immediately rushed to the community health centre in Kalyansinghpur but doctors declared him dead on arrival.
On being informed, police reached the spot and seized the body. An unnatural death case was registered and the body sent to district headquarters hospital (DHH) in Rayagada for postmortem.
In the second incident, Soroj Kumar Khara (30) of Rayat colony under Rayagada Sadar police limits fell unconscious during the immersion process. He was immediately taken to Rayagada district headquarters but doctors declared him dead. Rayagada Town police registered an unnatural death case and sent the body for autopsy.
While locals blamed the high DJ sound levels for causing the deaths, Kalyansinghpur IIC Nilakant Behera said the exact cause of death will be determined after the autopsy report arrives. The bodies were later handed over to the bereaved families.