Sambalpur: A minor girl went missing in Mahanadi after she jumped off the second bridge on the river at Chaunrpur under Ward No-1 in Sambalpur, Saturday.
The girl, a resident of Mandalia area under Khetrajpur police limits, was studying in Class IX at a local high school. She left home riding her bicycle to attend school, Saturday morning. However, instead of going to her school, she went near the river bridge at Chaunrpur and jumped off the bridge. An eyewitness said that she parked her bicycle on the bridge and jumped into the river before they could realise her motive. On being informed, three teams of Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and launched a search operation at Sambalpur, Burla and Maneswar.
However, they had to abandon the search operation at 6pm in the evening after water level rose in the river due to opening of eight sluice gates at Hirakud dam. The search operation will again resume from 6am Sunday, Fire personnel Sudam Kisku said.
Sambalpur Sadar SDPO Tophan Bag said that the Fire personnel have launched a search operation to trace the missing girl. Police have also launched an investigation to ascertain the reason behind her extreme step. The parents of the girl are also being questioned in this connection, the SDPO added. Locals said that the girl’s elder sister was also swept in the Mahanadi river around a year back.
PNN
