Kendrapada: Festive celebrations turned into tragedy at Gahaga village in Odisha’s Kendrapada district Tuesday after three minor boys drowned in the Luna River while bathing at a local ghat on Dussehra.
Rescuers recovered two bodies, while a search operation was continuing to trace the third boy.
The deceased have been identified as Sabyasachi Swain and Ashish Satapathy, while Himanshu Parida remains missing. All three boys were residents of Gahaga village under Kendrapada Sadar police station.
According to villagers, the three boys had gone to Gahaga Ghat to bathe when they accidentally slipped into deep water and were swept away by the strong current.
The tragedy came to light after their clothes and slippers were found abandoned on the riverbank. Suspecting that the boys had drowned, their family members and villagers immediately launched a search operation.
Fire Services personnel from Kendrapada rushed to the spot with two boats and launched an extensive rescue operation. The bodies of Sabyasachi Swain and Ashish Satapathy were subsequently recovered, while efforts continued to locate Himanshu Parida.
Personnel from Kendrapada Sadar police station also reached the spot and appealed to villagers to remain calm as the search operation continued.
Local resident Prabhudatta Panda expressed grief over the tragedy, saying the boys had been a familiar sight in the village.
“We always saw these innocent children playing before our eyes. The water level was not very high, but fate proved cruel. Three tender buds of our village are lost,” he said.
The incident has plunged Gahaga village into deep mourning, with distraught parents and villagers gathering along the riverbank as rescuers continued their search for the missing boy.