Bhubaneswar: An unfortunate incident was reported from the capital city on Saturday noon when a youth was swept away in a drain canal near Vani Vihar in Bhubaneswar.
According to initial reports, the youth was carried away by strong currents in the drain. Rescue operations began immediately after the incident. Teams of ODRAF and NDRF have been deployed at the spot and are conducting search operations on a war footing. Local police are also present at the scene and monitoring the rescue efforts.
Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das reached the spot and is personally monitoring the situation. Even after more than two hours of searching, the missing youth has not been traced yet. Rescue personnel wearing life jackets continue to comb the drain and adjoining canal areas.
Police said the search operation will continue until the youth is found. According to locals, the man is a rag picker.
The incident has revived memories of a similar tragedy in 2021, when a minor boy was swept away in the Saubhagya Nagar drain canal while returning from tuition. It took a 19-hour long operation for rescue teams to recover the body. Following that incident, the government had decided to cover all open drains and canals in the city.
