Basudevpur: Two minor girls drowned while collecting snails in a pond at a village under this block in Bhadrak district Friday morning. The incident occurred in Ward No. 10 of Arandua panchayat. The deceased were identified as Tapadeepa Barik, 10, daughter of Satyabrata Barik, and Annapurna Barik, 11, daughter of Bijay Barik; both residents of Bariksahi settlement.
According to sources, the girls had gone to play near a newly dug village pond along with three other friends. While searching for snails near the pond’s bank, Tapadeepa reportedly slipped and fell into the water. Annapurna subsequently jumped in to rescue her but in vain. The other three children rushed to the village and alerted locals.
Villagers later searched the pond, and firefighters who arrived at the spot carried out a rescue operation. The two girls were eventually pulled out of the pond in an unconscious condition. They were rushed to the Basudevpur hospital, where doctors declared them dead. Basudevpur police seized the bodies and sent them to Bhadrak for post-mortem. Tehsildar Priyabrata Das reached the hospital and consoled the bereaved families. He also assured them of government assistance.
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