Bhubaneswar: The body of an elderly man was recovered after being swept away while crossing the Koel river in Rourkela. Fire department personnel retrieved the body at around 10 am on Saturday.
The deceased, Birendra Kar (61), a resident of Talasara Telipada under Hatibari police station.
According to reports, Kar had come to Rourkela to book a train ticket and planned to spend the night at his friend’s house on the other side of the river. Instead of taking the longer route via the newly constructed bridge, he attempted to cross the river at Baikuntha Ghat, despite warnings from locals.
Kar was swept away by the strong current, and despite a search operation by the fire department on the previous day, his body was not found. The search operation resumed on Saturday, and his body was eventually recovered.
The body was handed over to the family after an autopsy.
