Rourkela: In a tragic incident, a youth drowned and another became critically injured after the duo was swept away by undercurrent while bathing in River Koel in Rourkela city Sunday afternoon.
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The incident occurred at Teterakela ghat under Nuagaon block and Bisra police limits in Sundargarh district.
The deceased was identified as Vickey Sharma (17).
The other youth identified as Deepak Khandual (22) was rescued in critical condition and sent to Rourkela government hospital for treatment. Both of them hail from Timber Colony in the city.
According to a source, the two youths along with seven other friends visited the Teterakela ghat in the morning for picnic. After having their food, the two youths wanted to take bath in the river where the mishap took place.
A fire brigade team was immediately called into action. After a frantic search, the body of Vickey was fished out from the river.
Notably, the Teterakela ghat of River Koel has been marked as a black spot and was earlier restricted by the district administration, owing to frequent occurrences of drowning mishaps.
PNN