Kendrapada: Three youths went missing after allegedly drowning in the Luna river in Kendrapada district on Tuesday, with an Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) team launching a search operation to trace them.
According to reports, five youths from Gahaga village had gone to bathe in the river around 11 am when a sudden rise in the water level reportedly swept three of them away.
The missing youths have been identified as Himanshu Parida, Ashish Satpathy and Sabyasachi Swain.
After receiving information about the incident, an ODRAF team reached the spot and began a search operation. Local residents and family members of the missing youths are also assisting in the rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, local residents alleged that illegal sand mining in the river had contributed to the accident.
The search operation was underway at the time of filing this report.
