Jagatsinghpur: In a tragic incident near Krishnanandapur village under Raghunathpur block of Jagatsinghpur district, three youths were swept away by strong currents while bathing in the Paika River on Wednesday.
The Fire Service personnel recovered two bodies, while one youth remains missing despite intensive search efforts. The deceased have been identified as Shishir Behera and Saurabh Mallik, both residents of Krishnanandapur. The missing person has been identified as Amanjit Mallik.
According to sources, locals immediately alerted the Fire services after the three went missing in the river. Shishir Behera was rescued in critical condition and rushed to Raghunathpur Health Centre, where doctors declared him dead. Later, Fire personnel recovered the body of Saurabh Mallik from downstream.
The search operation for Amanjit is still underway, with teams from the Raghunathpur and Tirtol Fire stations engaged in rescue efforts alongside local volunteers.
Meanwhile, villagers have alleged that illegal sand mining activities in the Paika River have deepened the riverbed and altered the current, making the area unsafe for bathing. They claim that unchecked mining near Krishnanandapur has increased the risk of such incidents.
The incident has plunged the locality into grief, with hundreds of people gathering along the riverbank awaiting news of the missing youth.
