JAGATSINGHPUR: The addiction to alcohol proved near-fatal for two youths, who were swept away along with their car by the surging waters of the swollen Mahanadi river beneath the Khosal over-bridge on Monday. They were rescued by firefighters after two hours of ordeal. According to sources, Rasmiranjan Swain, 37, from Dhinkia village in the Abhyachandpur police jurisdiction, and his companion Puspakant Mohanty, 45, from Garadpur in Kendrapara district, under the influence of alcohol, reportedly wanted to buy more from a shop situated beneath the Khosal over-bridge near Rahama in Sailo panchayat area under the Kujang block.
Though the shop was closed due to inundation caused by the flooding waters after 26 gates at the Hirakud Dam were opened, the two still took a narrow road from Rahama haat to Haripur to reach the counter. While Swain was navigating through water measuring one to two feet, the water level surged suddenly, reaching about 15 to 20 feet.
With the car caught in the current, it got stuck against a tree in the middle of the inundated road. Locals who were witness to the incident informed fire personnel immediately to rescue the two. Sarpanch of Sailo Panchayat Saroj Kumar Sethy said, “These two individuals, due to their addiction to alcohol, ventured onto the narrow road leading from Rahama hat to Haripur instead of crossing the over-bridge, ultimately becoming trapped in the river’s rising waters.”
The fire officer in Tirtol Subash Chandra Bhol narrated the challenging rescue operation. “When we reached, Swain was perched atop the car, while Mohanty clung to a tree. A team of seven fire fighters rescued them using ropes and a boat. They were marooned in the middle of the river for nearly two hours, with water depths reaching around 15 to 20 feet,” he said.