Bhubaneswar: Three staff members of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) in Koraput district were suspended after three Class X students drowned in the Kolab reservoir on Saturday while bathing after their CBSE examination.
The Bhopal regional office of Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), which runs the centrally funded residential schools, placed Physics teacher Chaman Kumar, Physical Education Teacher (PET) Rahul Singh and hostel in-charge Ishwar Khara under suspension pending an inquiry into the incident.
According to reports, eight students had gone to the Kolab reservoir to bathe after completing their CBSE Class X examination. During the bath, three students — Lingaraj Khilo, Omm Prakash Behera and Swasthita Sundar Halwa — reportedly ventured into deeper waters, lost their balance and were swept away.
On being alerted, school staff rushed to the spot and retrieved the students from the water before taking them to Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital in Koraput. However, doctors declared all three students dead on arrival.
The incident has triggered concern over student safety and supervision near water bodies, particularly during off-campus activities.
