Dhamnagar: An 18-year-old girl drowned while three others had a close shave after the four went to a nearby riverbank to attend nature’s call Sunday morning near Nathsahi in Narayanpur village under this police limits in Bhadrak district, police said.
The deceased was identified as Ipsita Nath, 18, daughter of Chakradhar Nath in the village.
Three others Ankita Nath, 14, Radharani Nath, 14, and Shubhashree Nath, 15, managed to save themselves.
The mishap before Bh alukuni Puja starting Sunday has spread a pall of gloom and mourning in the area.
The incident occurred at the Reba riverbank near Nathasahi village under the Daipur panchayat in Dhamnagar police limits.
According to residents, Ipsita, Ankita, Radharani, and Shubhashree had gone to the riverbank. While they were washing themselves, they reportedly slipped into the river.
Ankita, Radharani and Shubhashree managed to escape by holding onto each other and their clothes and making their way to safety, while Ipsita was swept away and went missing.
More than 100 villagers searched the river for a long time before finding Ipsita some distance away.
She was pulled from the water and taken to Bhadrak District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead.