Student drowns, another rescued while bathing in Baitarani River in Odisha’s Keonjhar

In a fatal incident reported from Anandapur, a student drowned on Thursday in the Baitarani River while bathing near Amritpur Ghat in Keonjhar district. The deceased has been identified as Soumya Ranjan Bhutia.

Also Read: Class 9 student drowns in Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar; body recovered after overnight search

According to sources, two students had entered the river to take a bath when they suddenly went deep into the water and faced difficulty in swimming back. While one of them was rescued safely, the other went missing after being swept away by the river’s current.

Local residents and rescue teams immediately launched a search operation following the incident. After an intensive search, the body of Soumya Ranjan was recovered from the river.

The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the area and left the victim’s family and friends in deep shock. Police and local authorities reached the spot and initiated necessary procedures after the body was recovered.

Authorities have urged people, especially youngsters, to exercise caution while bathing in rivers during the monsoon and post-monsoon periods, when water currents can become unpredictable and dangerous.

Meanwhile, the death has once again highlighted the need for greater awareness about water safety at popular river bathing spots.

Worth mentioning, earlier in another incident, a Class IX student had lost his life after drowning in the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. The incident occurred when the student had gone to the river for a bath along with his friends on the afternoon of May 9.

Following the incident, a search operation was launched, and after hours of effort, the body was recovered from the river early the next morning.

Reported By: Muna Singh