Sambalpur: A teenage girl was rescued Sunday after she jumped into the Mahanadi River from the Chaunrpur bridge in Sambalpur, police said Sunday.
The spot is locally known as a suicide-prone zone.
Witnesses said the Class IX student of a local girls’ high school rode her bicycle to the bridge around 6 am.
She left her schoolbag and cycle near the railing and jumped into the river.
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Alert morning walkers and passersby immediately informed police.
Fire services and Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) personnel launched a search operation and rescued her within two hours.
The girl, who lives in Bheemabhoi Nagar with her family, reportedly took the step after being unable to bear scolding from her father over her studies, according to preliminary police investigation.
The rescue team spotted a teenager clinging to a rock near the Gobindatola bridge, about a kilometre from the Chaunrpur bridge, during the search operation and safely pulled her out before handing her over to the police.
She was first admitted to the district headquarters hospital and later shifted to VIMSAR in Burla. Family members rushed to Burla after receiving the news.
PNN