Balugaon: Two persons including an eight-year-old girl drowned while four others went missing after a boat ferrying them to Balugaon after their visit to the Kalijai Temple capsized after the boatman lost control due to the strong winds and rain in the middle of Chilika lagoon here in Ganjam district Saturday evening.
The deceased girl was identified as Sradhanjali Das,, daughter of Rabindra Das of Dimisar village in Nayagarh district, who had gone to the Kalijai temple along with her family members. Meanwhile, the identity of the woman was yet to be known.
Sources said, around 16 tourists had gone to Kalijai Temple inside the lake earlier in the day. While they were on their way back to Balugaon, the boatman lost control over the boat as strong winds and thundershower lashed the lake in the evening, following which, the boat capsized.
Though local fishermen in the nearby area managed to rescue ten tourists and fished out the body of the child and the woman, they failed to trace the other four.
Following information, a fire brigade team rushed to the spot and started search operation. There was no trace of the missing tourists till reports last came in.
Of the tem tourists admitted to a government hospital at Balugaon, two of them were shifted to Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar after their condition deteriorated. Meanwhile, the rescue teams comprising of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) and fire department officers continued the search operation.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief at the death of the minor girl in the boat capsize. The CM also directed the Social Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi, the Khurda and Ganjam district administration to coordinate in the rescue operation.
The CM also ordered free medical treatment for the injured persons.
PNN
