Cuttack: The elephant stuck in water near Mundali barrage in Mahanadi River at Athagarh block of Cuttack district died late Friday night, despite hours of struggle to rescue it.
According to a source, many local residents present on the barrage were witnessing the rescue operation till late hours. At one point in time, the locals could not see the tusker anymore. Later, they used flashlights and tried to spot the stranded animal. The carcass of the elephant was found floating in the river, the source said.
Forest department, however, has not confirmed the death yet.
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Eight boats of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) with six members in each team have been engaged in the search operation which is underway near the Mundali barrage in Mahanadi river. The teams have been searching for Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) man Sitaram Murmu who went missing in the boat capsize incident yesterday when a rescue team had gone into the river along with a scribe and a photographer, a senior official said.
PNN