Paralakhemundi: A tourist, who went missing during a severe thunderstorm at the popular Mahendragiri hill in Odisha’s Gajapati district, was found dead on Monday morning.
The deceased has been identified as Binod Jena, a resident of Olatpur village under Niali block in Cuttack district. He was visiting the scenic hill along with three friends.
According to sources, the group had traveled to Paralakhemundi, where they visited a relative’s house and had lunch. They then hired a car and headed to Mahendragiri for sightseeing. While trekking uphill from Arjuna Cave toward the Bhima Temple at around 3 pm, the friends were caught in a sudden thunderstorm as Nor’westers lashed several parts of Odisha on Sunday.
Three members of the group took shelter inside the Bhima Temple, while Binod reportedly ran downhill in an attempt to find cover. Once the rain eased, his companions searched for him but could not locate him. They alerted personnel from the forest department at a nearby watchtower and resort. A search operation was immediately launched in the Bhima Temple area. When initial efforts yielded no results, the Garabandha police were called in. Teams, comprising police and forest officials from the Ramgiri Range, continued the search late into the night. The body was eventually recovered early this morning along the route leading to the Bhima Temple.
It is being suspected that Binod died due to a lightning strike during the intense storm. Further investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of death.
