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Bhubaneswar: Villagers have blamed illegal sand mining for the death of three youths of Itatikir, who drowned while taking bath in Paika river under Krishnanandapur police limits in Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district on Wednesday morning.
It is being alleged that illegal mining of sand had led to deep pits on the riverbanks, making the area unsafe for locals. The residents also blocked the road near Krushnanandpur Siphon square, demanding immediate action against those responsible. “My son lost his life because of illegal sand mining. The riverbank has been dug out in several places, leaving deep pits. Our children were unaware of it and were swept away. We seek justice,” said a grieving mother.
According to sources, the three boys – Aman Kumar Mallick (15), Saurav Behera (18) and Sisir Kumar Behera (15) went to take bath in the river on their way to school. Aman reportedly slipped and was carried away by the current. Sisir and Saurav jumped in to rescue him but were also swept away. Firefighters from Raghunathpur and Tirtol later retrieved the bodies of Sisir and Aman, while Saurav is still missing and feared drowned.