Baleshwar: An eight-year-old boy drowned in the Salandi Canal in the Barisahi area under Nilagiri police station limits in Baleshwar district, triggering grief in the locality.
The deceased was identified as Rahul of Sanahata village.
According to reports, Rahul had gone for a walk along the canal with two relatives when the incident occurred. The canal’s embankment area had become slippery and muddy due to rainfall amid ongoing work, following which the minor reportedly lost his footing and fell into the canal.
Seeing Rahul drowning, the two relatives tried to rescue him but could not save him. The fire brigade was subsequently informed and launched a search operation at the spot.
After nearly an hour of searching, the rescuers recovered the boy and rushed him to the Nilagiri Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
