JAJPUR/KEONJHAR: Two teenagers reportedly died after drowning in separate incidents in Jajpur and Keonjhar districts on Thursday. In Jajpur, a 14-year-old girl drowned while taking bath with friends at Chandanpur ghat in Brahmani river under Bari- Ramachandrapur police limits. The deceased was identified as Subhalaxmi Biswal, a Class IX student from Chandanpur village.
Sources said Subhalaxmi and her three friends had gone to the river to take bath in the morning. She reportedly went into deep water and drowned. On spotting Subhalaxmi drowning, her friends raised an alarm. After receiving information, fire services personnel from Bari reached the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of locals. The girl’s body was recovered from the river in the afternoon.
Similarly in Keonjhar, a 16-year-old boy died after drowning in Baitarani river at Amritpur village under Nandipada police limits. He was identified as Somya Ranjan Bhutia, a resident of Amritpur under Aitipur gram panchayat. Sources said four youths from Amritpur including Somya and one Akash Das (20) had gone to the river for bathing in the afternoon. After entering the water, Somya and Akash reportedly slipped and started to drown.
Finding the duo drowning, the two other youths raised an alarm following which a motorcyclist passing by rushed to their rescue. Somya and Akash were pulled out of water and taken to the nearby Shalani hospital. As Somya’s condition was critical, he was shifted to Bhadrak district headquarters hospital where doctors declared him dead.