One Person Goes Missing As Boat Capsizes In Odisha’s Chilika Lake

Bhubaneswar: One person went missing and 11 others were rescued as their boat capsized in Chilika lake on Thursday afternoon.

According to sources, 9 tourists from Remuna in Balasore district had gone in a boat on a visit to Kalijai temple in the lake. While they were returning, the boat reportedly lost balance near Chadheiguha hill due to gale and severe rain caused by norwester and capsized.

On being informed, a team from Balugaon police station rushed to the spot and recued 11 persons including the boat driver, a shopkeeper of Kalijai and his assistant. All of them were found floating as they were wearing life jackets. But one person could not be traced. The police launched a search operation to trace the missing person, who was identified as 60-year-old Raj Kishore Khuntia of Kodapur. But he had not been found till night.

After the search operation, Balugaon SDPO Manas Ranjan Barik told the media persons that the police team was at Barkul Pantha Nivas for some work when they were informed about the boat mishap. The team rushed to the spot and launched the rescued operation, he added.

The rescued tourists were admitted to Balugaon Hospital and their condition was stated to be stable.