Kendrapada: Three youths tragically drowned in the Luna River at Gahaga Ghat under Kendrapada Sadar police limits in Odisha on Tuesday after being swept away by strong currents while bathing.
According to sources, the incident occurred around 11 am when a group of local residents from Gahaga village had gone to the river. The situation turned dire when one member of the group was suddenly caught in the powerful flow; as others attempted a rescue, two more individuals were pulled under by the current. While companions managed to pull three other endangered individuals to safety, the remaining three were washed away.
A joint search and rescue operation was immediately launched by local residents, the fire services department, and personnel from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF). Following an intensive search, rescue teams fished out the bodies of the three missing individuals, who have been identified as Himanshu Sekhar Satapathy, Sabyasachi Swain, and Chiranjib Parida.
Even as police have initiated an inquiry into the incident, a pall of gloom has descended upon the region following the tragic deaths.
