Baripada: A schoolteacher swam to safety while his driver remained trapped in a car for over two hours after the vehicle was swept away by floodwater from a river in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district.
According to information, the incident took place following a sudden surge of floodwater from Deo River near Naharapada village under the jurisdiction of Udala police station in the district on Friday.
Sources said Ratikanta Kadhei, a teacher of Naharapada primary school, and his driver, Dushmanta Desari, were travelling from Udala to Naharapada when the incident occurred.
The car tried to cross the stretch when water was flowing across the road near the village. The water flow suddenly rose, and a powerful current swept the vehicle nearly 15 to 20 metres away from the road.
Fearing danger, the driver rolled down the windows and Kadhei managed to get out of the car. He rushed to the village and alerted villagers seeking their help to rescue the driver, who was trapped inside the vehicle.
Over 15 to 20 villagers rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. They managed to rescue Desari from the submerged car and pull the vehicle out of the floodwaters.
