Sambalpur: A Class IX girl student went missing after allegedly jumping into the Mahanadi from a bridge at Chaurpur in Odisha’s Sambalpur district on Saturday.
According to sources, the girl of Mandalia area left for school this morning and later her bicycle was found over Chaurpur bridge. She is a student of Hindi Nodal High School.
A morning walker saw her jumping into the river at around 6.45 am.
On being, police and Fire Service personnel reached the bridge and launched a rescue operation to trace the girl. Family members of the missing girl are also at the spot. “The search operation is on. Since the girl knows how to swim, we are hopeful of tracing her. A team has also be sent to her school,” Sambalpur Sadar SDPO Toofan Bag told the reporters.
Four teams of Fire Service department have been engaged in the search operation.
Her father told the media that there was no issue in the family and he had also asked him not to go to school since it was raining. He added his elder daughter too had drowned about 10-12 years ago.
Currently, six gates of Hirakud dam are open to release excess floodwater into downstream.
